The Insider
by ada69
Summary: Rose is taken captive by Jake and Lao Shi in order for them to learn the darkest secrets of the Huntsclan. Rose, who resists them at first, begins to wonder where her true loyalties lie. DISCLAIMER:  I do not own ADJL.
1. Chapter 1

**Ohhh new story! I've just had this idea for FOREVER, and I never really even thought about making it into a fanfic. But…I just sat down to write…and this is what came out. **

**Summary: Rose is taken captive by Jake and Lao Shi for several months in order for them to learn the secrets of the Huntsclan. Rose blows them off completely at first, but over time, she begins to question where her loyalties lie. **

**The only background information you must realize before reading this is that Jake and Rose have never met before in human form. They've only ever met as dragon and Huntsgirl in this universe. **

**Chapter 1: Disownment**

Once again, she found herself lying face down on the cold, hard concrete of the abandoned alleyway. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and every single muscle in her body ached from the constant fighting. But she couldn't give up…Huntsgirl knew that her future was on the line if she were to fail her master again.

This had been the pattern for the last few weeks. She'd stand back up only to fall back down, push only to be shoved. The constant battles and training had worn her out entirely, and now she had almost no strength at all to fight back with.

But she knew who to blame for that…the dragon. That heartless, dirty monster that had been defeating her day after day after day.

At first, the two had been equally matched. But over time, the beast grew stronger and stronger, only leaving her to grow weaker and weaker, until her very existence had become something to fear for.

Reminding herself of these things, Huntsgirl pushed herself up off the sidewalk with all of the strength she could muster. As she looked up, she found the dragon standing before her patiently, waiting to successfully complete his mission _again. _The simple thought made her sick.

"Dragon," she spat, the blood dripping off of her lip and on to the darkened pavement. She kept her eyes on the item he held in his hand. The item she was supposed to return to the Huntsman.

"Looks like this is over," the dragon flashed her that wicked grin before opening his wings and flying off into the darkened, midnight sky.

And Huntsgirl, no matter how many times she reminded herself of the consequences of failure, simply did not have the vitality to chase after him.

Instead, she collapsed on the sidewalk in exhaustion, contemplating about what her punishment might be.

**XX**

"You _WHAT?" _The Huntsman banged his fist on the table in front of him.

Huntsgirl sighed in order to calm herself down. "Mm…master," she stuttered, "That dragon…he's much too powerful to fight alone!"

"Or, you're much too weak in comparison," the Huntsman spat.

Huntsgirl didn't even get a chance to defend herself before her master began to lecture her for the fifth time that week.

"You've been blowing missions for the last two weeks, Huntsgirl," he accused. "You're getting sloppy in your training, and you're losing respect for your authorities. These dragons," he continued, "are terrible evil creatures. Heartless beings. They'd destroy our kind in a second if they were given the chance," he began to raise his voice. "These dragons, Huntsgirl, need to be slain."

"I understand, master," Huntsgirl bowed quickly in reply, "but…I've just been working nonstop for these past few weeks. I need a day or two to recover before I can be back at full strength! And then," she promised, "I can defeat that…that _dragon_," she spat.

"I'm afraid not, Huntsgirl," her master replied coolly.

"Wha…what do you mean, master?" The young girl stuttered, fearing what his next words would be.

"I can't afford to lose anymore," he explained, folding his hands neatly behind his back. "I need people out there who can win…who can defeat these dragons…they must be destroyed. All of them."

"And clearly," the Huntsman continued turning his back to her," you are incapable of doing so, Huntsgirl."

"Master…no…I…" Huntsgirl struggled frantically to find the right words to save her position.

"Silence!" He spun around quickly and shot her a deadly glare. "You have failed me for the last time! You are banished from the Huntsclan."

"What?" Huntsgirl shot back immediately. "I can still help! Still train…try to become better!"

"Out," the Huntsman pointed to the door.

"You can still use me!" She explained. "I can train the new recruits…"

He grabbed strong hold of her arm and began to drag her toward the exit. As he expected, she struggled against him.

"Master! Please!" She pleaded. "I have nowhere to go…I'll try harder, I promise!"

"That's enough!" He spun around as they reached the door. "I don't want to see you ever again," he opened it and kicked her forcefully in the stomach, sending her flying on to the ground of the alley outside.

Before thinking twice about what he had done, he shut the door, locked it, and returned to what he had been doing before she had so rudely interrupted him.

Meanwhile, Huntsgirl whimpered in pain on the hard, cold cement. She was now not only freezing and hungry, but completely 100% homeless.

And as if right on cue, thunder struck, and the rain came pouring down on her already shivering body.

At this, Huntsgirl allowed herself to go numb, and she slowly drifted off into a deep and troubled sleep.

**XX**

"Gramps, I have NO idea what's been up with the Huntsgirl lately, but she is suddenly unable to compete with the Amdrag," Jake bragged as the two made their nightly rounds through the city, keeping a watchful eye out for anything suspicious.

"We are very lucky to have recovered that gem," Lao Shi explained. "With it, the Huntsman would have the ability to locate any magical creature he would wish to find."

"The important thing is that I've got it covered," Jake chuckled. "As always…"

"Young dragon!" Lao Shi scolded him. "Keep watch for anything that may seem out of the ordinary."

"Grandpa, everything seems fine!" Jake shrugged. "I really don't see why we need to be flying out here in the cold and rain when I seriously doubt that anything is going on."

"Ah yes, Jake, but it is better to be safe than sorry," he added.

"Right," Jake replied, but his attention was elsewhere. "Gramps, is that the Huntsgirl lying down there in the rain?" He noted as they neared what they knew was one of the Huntsclan's bases.

"Hmmm," Lao Shi looked down at the small, unmoving figure Jake had spotted on the pavement. He began to fly downward to get a closer look, and Jake followed immediately behind him.

As the two landed in the alleyway, it became clear that it was, indeed, the Huntsgirl who was unconscious on the sidewalk.

"Ummm," Jake thought for a moment, "this isn't where we fought at. I didn't leave her here."

"I wonder why then she is out in the rain," Lao Shi pondered.

"Maybe she passed out right before she got to the door?" Jake suggested with a shrug.

His grandfather didn't say anything in response. Instead, he moved toward the motionless young women and lifted her up in his arms.

"Gramps, what are you doing?" Jake questioned him.

"We will take her back to the shop and keep her captive," he explained. "Maybe…just maybe…if we keep her long enough, we can find a way to get her to reveal secrets about the Huntsclan."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jake asked his master. "I mean, would if she escapes and murders us in our sleep?"

"One of the guest bedrooms has a set of locks and bars on the window," his grandfather explained. "I've specifically designed it to hold a prisoner in the case that we would ever find the need to keep one."

Jake thought about it for a moment.

"Alright, Gramps," he finally said, "I just hope this doesn't end badly."

Lao Shi merely smiled at his grandson in return before opening his wings and flying back up into the sky, still holding the unconscious girl in his arms, and Jake followed shortly after.

**XX**

**Well, I hope that you all enjoyed that to some extent. Let me know if you think I should continue with the idea. **

**And once again, my apologies on the delay of Secrets of the Past. I'm getting there…I'm in the process of rereading chapters to figure out where exactly I was going with it…Lol. I guess that's what happens when you don't update for four months. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**~ada**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Awakening**

At first there was nothing.

She was on the brink of consciousness. Though all she could see was black, and she found herself unable to move, open her eyes, or do much of anything at all, she was aware of her surroundings.

Then, she began to think more clearly.

Wherever she was was dry and soft, much unlike the hard, cement alleyway flooded with rain water that she remembered drifting off at.

And the noise was gone.

A person who had lived in New York City their whole life knew very well what it sounded like to be outside in the city. It was noisy. Full of honking and screeching and yelling and sirens. Yet, these sounds were being muffled by a barrier, which, in all likelihood, was a wall.

She had to be inside.

Slowly, Huntsgirl found the strength to open her eyelids for the first time since she had been kicked out, quite literally, by the Huntsman.

A surge of hopelessness and pain shot through her body as she remembered the details of what had happened the previous night.

But where could she possibly be?

Slowly, Huntsgirl sat up and looked around the room with caution.

First, she realized that she was on a bed, however, it was not her own. The bed, while being much more comfortable than the concrete, was hard and squeaky. There were various stains that covered the top of the mattress, and a thin, itchy blanket was draped over top of it. A flat pillow sat on the opposite end of the bed.

The rest of the room was extremely blunt. Nothing but a dresser in one corner, a lamp by the bed, and a window to her right.

All in all, the place did not seem very welcoming.

"_I've got to get out of here," _Huntsgirl thought to herself as she looked around the room for means of escape.

Instantly she rushed over to the window only to find that it had tight bars on it. Judging by the look of it, it was made out of unicorn horn.

Then she proceeded to the door to see if it was locked, and indeed, it was.

So what did this mean? Was she being kept a prisoner? Who keeps a prisoner in anything but a cell?

These thoughts flashed through the still half-asleep mind of the young women as she took another look around.

"_It's just a door," _she thought to herself. _"It's made of wood. It couldn't possibly be that hard to break."_

Not thinking twice, Huntsgirl charged toward the door and kicked it square in the middle, however, it did not even move.

She stood staring blankly at the door, hardly aware of the pain pulsing through her foot. Why wouldn't it break? She had broken down many doors in the past.

Huntsgirl gave another quick look around before sitting down on the bed to think for a moment.

"Okay," she thought aloud, "I'm tired and worn out from fighting, and I just woke up. Maybe I'm just not at full strength right now," she assured herself and started to relax. "Yeah, It'll be cake to get out of here once the day goes on," she tried to convince herself.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps right outside her door.

"I swear I heard a noise!" She heard a voice say and jumped up off of the screechy bed and into a battle position.

She listened carefully as the sound of rattling keys passed through her ear, and she watched as the door handle slowly began to turn.

As soon as the door was opened just a crack, she sprung at whoever was behind it.

Everything happened so fast that her mind barely registered getting tackled to the ground by a big red dragon almost instantly.

"Let…go…of me!" She kicked and struggled against him desperate to reach the opened door. "Filthy creature!"

She watched as a blue dragon entered the room and closed the door behind him.

While the American Dragon was distracted, Huntsgirl took the opportunity to bite down hard on his arm.

"Ah!" He yanked it back almost immediately. "Grandpa, she bit me!"

"What?" Huntsgirl mocked coolly, still being pinned down by the dragon. "Does the little baby dragon need his grandpa to help him keep me under control?"

The dragon growled lowly at her. "Damn, women! That hurt!"

"You watch it you arrogant little son-of-a-"

"Enough!" The elder dragon yelled over their fighting. He reached down to pull his grandson off of Huntsgirl.

She stood up with a huff and dusted herself off. "What the hell do you want with me?" She crossed her arms and turned her back to them.

"Well," the American Dragon began cockily, "obviously the Huntsman didn't want you, so we decided to snatch you up instead."

The words stung, but she managed to keep calm for awhile longer. "So what?" She glared angrily at the two monsters. "I'm your prisoner?"

"Guest," the blue dragon replied.

"Guest?" She let out a little laugh. "Right. Guest," She muttered sarcastically.

"Hey," the younger one pointed out, "at least we're not keeping you in a cage."

"Well you might as well be," the young girl replied coldly.

"This room has all the qualities of a cage that would keep you from escaping," the old man began to explain. "The doors, walls, windows, and floors are all under a magical strengthening charm. They are almost impossible to break."

"That explains it," she muttered to herself.

"We feel it would be better suited to allow you to live in a normal environment," he continued.

"Why?" She turned around to face them once more, staring deep into their cold, dark monstrous eyes. "What are you planning on doing with me? What's your motive?"

"Look," the American Dragon began, "obviously, the Huntsclan doesn't care what you do. But we do," he explained. "We figure that if we give you time to think about all that they've done to you, you'll realize that you're on the wrong side, and spill Huntsclan secrets to us."

"What?" The young women looked at the two beings with complete disgust. "Why would I do that? I will remain loyal to the clan," she stated stubbornly.

"Very well, young one," the Chinese Dragon replied. "However, you may find that your mind will change over time."

Huntsgirl huffed in reply. "Why are you telling me all of this, anyways?"

"Well," the boy shrugged, "we are going to have to start interrogating you sometime. I think you'd be smart enough to figure out where we were going with it, don't you?"

"Whatever," she sat back down on the bed.

"Now," the elder dragon began, "here is your first meal," he set down a plate of food on the cold wooden floor. For 'prison food,' it really didn't look too bad.

"We will bring you up two meals a day," he explained as he walked toward the door. "If you ever feel like you want to talk, just let us know," he opened the door cautiously and walked back out into the hallway, his grandson following shortly after.

As soon as they were out, the door was slammed shut and locked faster than she could blink.

The young women stared at the door and then to the plate of food on the floor and then out the window longingly.

Why did life always have to be so complicated for her?

**XX**

**Ummm freakin' yes! Story update! I don't know about you people, but those are my favorite! Lol. **

**Wow. I was…not expecting that much support. Thank you all very much! It is greatly appreciated! And is what pretty much pushed me to get thinking and write out this chapter. I've been very busy lately. I always am this time of year. Anywhere from November-February. Any other time I'm lacking updates, I'm just being lazy. XD**

**I'm honestly surprised how many of you noticed I gave Gramps wings in the first chapter. Lol. It just…fit with what I was writing. :) Sometimes that's just how it works out. Pretty cool you guys noticed that though. Lol. **

**And I like that some of you noticed that I haven't being using names. I've done that on purpose. See, this is written in 3rd person, but it's through Huntsgirl's point of view. She doesn't know Jake or Gramps' names. And she is still evil…so she hasn't quite become Rose yet. Their names will be used eventually. **

**Thanks for reading and for all of your support! **

**~ada**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Of Penguins and Prisoners **

School.

Perhaps the biggest waste of time Jake had ever had to encounter in his life. Especially when it was his history class. All anyone ever did was listen to music and play games on their computers, and why not? All the teacher ever did was hand out gigantic busy work packets and expect them all to work.

So instead of answering questions on the Great Depression, Jake chose to spend his time talking to his two best friends, Trixie and Spud.

"I've always felt bad for penguins," Spud spouted as he stared blankly at the white board. "I mean, they've got these wings, right? But they can't fly!"

"Spud," Trixie rolled her eyes and set her pencil back on the desk. She had truly been trying to do the assignment, but her friend's random outbursts had kept her from getting anything done. "I don't think the penguins care if they can fly or not," she argued, "they probably aren't even smart enough to realize that."

"But what good are wings if you can't fly?" He continued. "Birds can fly."

"Look, Spud," the young woman was becoming frustrated, "they really aren't even wings. They are…little…flipper thingies…so that they can swim. Can birds swim?"

"No," he hesitated for a moment. "I guess not."

"Are you guys seriously talking about this?" Jake chuckled at his friends and looked up from his game of online pool.

"Do you have anything better to talk about?" Trixie raised her eyebrow and leaned back in her seat.

"Actually," he began, "there is something I need to tell you guys."

"OH!" Spud jumped out of his seat and clapped his hands together. "I love story time!"

"Shhh," Jake shot his friend a look, "don't make a scene. This is magical stuff," he whispered.

"Oh okay," Spud sat down on the floor cross-legged, "I'll be quiet."

"Get on with it, Jakey," Trixie got up out of her desk and sat down beside Spud.

"Well," Jake looked around to make sure that no one was listening, "you know the Huntsclan right?" He waited for both of them to nod before continuing. "Well, Gramps and I were doing the night patrol the other night, and we found Huntsgirl just lying outside. Just lying there, unconscious. In the rain and everything."

"That's suspicious," Spud interrupted, earning a nudge from Trixie.

"Anyway," he continued, "naturally, we were suspicious. So, we brought her back to the shop and locked her up."

"So you have a prisoner locked up in the shop?" Spud gasped a little too loudly.

"Yup," Jake shrugged, "and now we are trying to get as much information out of her as we possibly can."

"Do you really think that she is going to talk?" Trixie asked crossing her arms. "I mean, why would she betray the Huntsclan?"

"Well," Jake thought about it for a moment, "why do you think that she was out on the street? We're just assuming that the Huntsman kicked her out for some reason."

"That is suspicious," Spud mumbled as he stuffed a handful of Doritos into his mouth.

"I mean, it's worth a shot, right?" Jake leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"I guess so," Trixie stood up and straightened her shirt, "the longer you keep her, the more likely she is to just spill it all out."

"Speaking of keeping her, where exactly are you keeping her?" Spud raised a suspicious eyebrow. "I mean I know at the shop, but…how?"

"Locked up in the upstairs…ummm…guest…prison room…thing," Jake scratched the back of his head.

"Well," Trixie hesitated for a moment, "that sounds…illegal. I mean given the situation…it's probably all right but," she paused for a moment, "you might want to be careful who you tell that to, Jakey."

"Well I mean what else were we going to do with her?" Jake responded. "I mean, she's probably better off locked up at the shop than with the Huntsclan. She just hasn't figured that out yet."

"I dunno," Trixie shook her head, "I can't think of anything worse than being locked up."

"Or being a penguin that can't fly," Spud shot up from his place on the ground.

"Right," Trixie rubbed her forehead, "Or being a penguin that can't fly."

The three were turned away from their conversation when the bell rang.

"Well," Jake slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed toward the door, "I better get over to the shop. Grandpa told me I need to be there a little early today. I guess that means he has a lot planned."

"Well then seeya later, Jakey!" Trixie waved as she watched her friend walk out the door.

"Jake," Spud mumbled to himself as soon as his friend walked out the door.

"What?" Trixie shot him a look of confusion.

"Jake has wings," Spud explained, "he can fly. But the penguins can't? It's just so strange."

"Gah," Trixie rubbed her forehead once more. "Just let it go, Spud. Let's go home."

**XX**

The Huntsclan had always found many creative ways of punishing her, but Huntsgirl could honestly admit that this was the first time that she had ever been handcuffed to a chair.

The young woman struggled against the handcuffs as she gave the elder blue dragon in front of her a look of pure hate. She hated dragons. Hated them. If it weren't for that filthy, disgusting, pathetic excuse of a species, she wouldn't even be in her current predicament.

"What do you want with me?" She growled lowly.

"We are just going to be asking you a few questions," he explained calmly.

"We?"

"We," the American Dragon entered the room and focused his eyes directly on her. He stared at her for a good couple seconds and it took her a moment to understand why. Her mask wasn't on. She had taken it off as well as the rest of the Huntsclan uniform. It was ripped and dirty, and his grandfather had thrown in a pile of old cloths for her to use. She probably looked much different to him than what she had in the past.

"What are you staring at?" She spat coldly at the young dragon.

"A very confused girl," he shot back. '

Huntsgirl eyed the dragon suspiciously. "What do you mean by that?"

"You can't really feel loyal to the Huntsclan," the dragon began to put his plan into action. "Answer me honestly," he began, "did they, or did they not kick you out?"

She opened her mouth to shoot out another nasty comment, but no thought came to her mind, and the lack of an answer itself answered the question the American Dragon had asked her.

"Right," the American Dragon smirked.

"I'd rather be there than with you disgusting monsters!" She began to shout, yanking furiously at the handcuffs that held her to the chair. She finally gave up with a huff and leaned back with her arms crossed and strands of loose hair across her face.

"No," the older dragon replied after a moment of silence, "you are simply a confused young woman trying to find a purpose for her life."

"I already know my purpose," she shot the dragon a blood-thirsty look, "is to destroy you," she looked down briefly at the birth mark that twisted around her wrist.

The dragon sighed and bent down to undo her handcuffs before walking toward the door. "Come along, young dragon," he directed toward the American Dragon. "When you are ready to talk, feel free," he turned toward Huntsgirl one last time before closing the door behind him.

Huntsgirl simply remained seated. There was no point in moving. The dragons were not going to let her escape.

And the longer she sat in the chair, the more she thought. And she thought and she thought and she thought.

The young woman didn't know how long she had been thinking, but it felt like she hadn't moved for hours.

After giving it much thought, she came to a startling conclusion: Maybe the dragons were right. Maybe, deep down, she knew that she was truthfully better off with them.

She shook the thought immediately, astounded that such a thought would even come to her mind.

How could she betray the Huntsclan? The people who trained her, taught her how fight, and showed her her destiny?

She sighed as she looked down at her birthmark. "What have I become?"

**XX**

**007: I normally don't reply to reviews out here, but since you reviewed anonymously, I can't reply any other way. Lol. It's not listed as complete…not on mine anyway. Lol. I don't know what you are seeing. Maybe it is on some pages…which would be…weird. Lol. So no, I am not done writing this, and I will do my best to keep updates coming! Thank you for your words of kindness! :) **

**Well, this one is only slightly longer than the last chapter, but honestly, these chapters a quite a bit longer than the chapters for my other stories are…that's just the way the scenes are breaking down in my mind. Even if they do seem…short. I apologize for that. **

**Thank you all a ton for your support! You people are my favorite. :) Haha…I tell everyone they are my favorite. Especially those of you who are: 007, Major Simi, Noble6, Lord Jace, Luiz4200, Fudogg, TrickedPast, YiPrincess, and SapphireDragon. **

**Thank you all! **

**~ada**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Deception **

The young dragon flew over the dazzling lights of New York City with ease. Though he would never admit it to his grandfather, he secretly liked doing the night patrol alone. It gave him time to think to himself.

This particular night was beautiful. The temperature was perfect for flying, and the city seemed so peaceful from above. The lights were what always captured him the most. It made the city look so full of life.

The young dragon sighed to himself and looked off in the distance as his mind began to drift to the young woman they had captured. It had been almost a week, and she had barely spoken a word to him or his grandfather.

After seeing her face for the first time, however, new thoughts began to run through his head. Seeing her made him realize that she was an actual person. Real. With feelings, hopes, fears, and dreams. It made him wonder what her life was like outside of the Huntsclan. After all, he had only ever seen her when she was fighting him.

She had to have some sort of life. Maybe she loved the same things he did and shared the same interests. It wasn't impossible. She was a person, and people generally shared some of the same interests. Maybe she had a boyfriend back at the Huntsclan. She was, after all, very pretty.

She had to have a soft side. A love for certain things and certain people, and it was interesting for the young man to think about.

He began to wonder if she was starting to think about dragons the same way. He wondered if she knew that they too had feelings, likes, dislikes…names.

He didn't know her name. And she didn't know his. She had to have one of course. She couldn't just be "Huntsgirl." She had to be someone else too. Someone who maybe wasn't so evil and deep down was a loving and caring person. The thought of him getting to know that side of her intrigued him, and he wondered if it was even possible.

He was a dragon, and she was a slayer. They really weren't supposed to communicate outside of their battles. He might never even know her hopes, plans…her name.

And the more the young dragon thought, the more he began to think that he was over-thinking things.

He began to realize how silly his thoughts were. He just needed to focus on the patrol and-

He was pulled out of his thoughts when a green blast of energy buzzed by his face, and he spun around instantly to face his enemy.

"Dragon," the Huntsman spat from the ledge of the building he was standing on.

"Huntschump," the young dragon stopped where he was to look the Huntsman dead in the eye, but something wasn't quite right. Why was the Huntsman on the roof of a building? Most magical creatures were to be found in Central Park this time of night.

"I've been looking for you," the Huntsman unknowingly answered Jake's thoughts.

The dragon shot him a look of confusion, and once again, the Huntsman clarified.

"Just tell me where she is, dragon," he began slowly through clenched teeth, "and I'll let you leave unharmed."

"Well what's stopping me from leaving right now?" Jake shot back instantly, but the Huntsman had no tolerance for his silly games tonight. Jake quickly dodged the green blast of energy before it could hit him. If he was wounded, he was surely be unable to fly, and that would be disastrous from the height he was currently at.

"I will ask you again," his enemy lowered his staff and stood up straight. "Where…is she?"

Jake folded his arms and shot the Huntsman the most convincing look he could manage. "I don't know who you're talking about," he looked the Huntsman dead in the eye, hoping that it was too dark for him to see the hint of deception in his own eyes. Jake had never been good at lying. Of course he knew who the Huntsman was talking about.

What bothered him the most was why the Huntsman would think that he knew that. From what Jake had heard about Huntsgirl's life in the Hunstclan, it didn't seem all that hard to imagine that she would have run away had she had the chance.

"You know who I'm talking about, dragon," the Huntsman spat, "and if you know anything at all, you'd best be telling me."

"I don't know anything about anyone missing," Jake replied strongly, hoping his voice sounded convincing enough for the Huntsman to drop the subject matter.

Jake ducked once more when he saw the Huntsman's staff pointed straight at him. He got out away just in time and flew closer to the Huntsman.

Before his opponent could react, Jake flung his tail around and sent him flying into the outer wall of the building.

Jake watched carefully as the Huntsman slowly stood back up. While the Huntsman was down, Jake took a moment to recover as well.

"I don't believe you, dragon," he finally replied, his voice cold as ice.

"I don't know why you would think I would know anything about your clan," the young dragon replied very seriously.

The two had begun to circle each other, and Jake became fully aware of the situation they were both in. It wasn't a very large area to fight in, and it was a very, very long way down to the bustling streets of New York.

The Huntsman finally lunged forward to attack, but Jake was quicker. Having been ready, Jake easily avoided his enemies blow and instead sent him flying to the edge of the rooftop with one swipe of his tail.

The Huntsman seemed very aware of the predicament that he was now in. He was teetering off the side of a building 100 stories in the air. With one tiny push, the dragon could send him falling to his death.

Quickly, he pulled out his transportation device. He could deal with the dragon later. Right now, he had more important things to take care of anyway.

"Another day, dragon," the Huntsman growled, and with the touch of a button, he vanished into the night leaving Jake alone on the roof.

**XX**

"You really should eat something, young one," the elder dragon told her softly.

She had her back turned to him and her arms folded across her chest stubbornly. She was past the point of angry. These last few weeks, she had resolved to not speak to the dragons at all, and she absolutely refused to eat in their presence. If she depended on it, those monsters would see her do nothing but stare at the peeling paint on the wall.

She heard the dragon sigh quietly in defeat, and she was surprised by what he asked her next.

"When you were with the Huntsclan," the old man began slowly, "did you ever miss your family?"

Family.

It wasn't something she really wanted to talk about with anyone, let alone the dragons. She wouldn't have answered the question if it were one of her friends asking. So as she had for the past few weeks, she sat on the hard, squeaky bed without reply.

The dragon shook his head at her stubbornness. "I will be downstairs," he informed her, not even sure if she was listening at all. "If you need anything, just call for me."

And with that he left her in the room alone.

She shivered as she looked around the room she had been living in. It certainly was cold, and not homey in the slightest.

Now that the dragon was gone, she slowly pushed herself up off of the squeaking bed and walked towards the plate of food that was left on the floor. She was absolutely starving, though she would have never admitted it.

As she sat back down on the bed and began to eat, her mind drifted back to the dragons, particularly the younger one. He had to be about her age.

She knew that he went to school, just like normal teenagers, and it was interesting for her to think about. The Huntsclan had never taught her what dragons did outside of the battle ground, and it intrigued her to find that they lived so…normally.

They probably had hopes and fears…and names. They had to have names. After all, they were trying to pass for humans. Humans had names.

Huntsgirl sighed and lied down on her bed.

"Normal or not, dragons are dragons," the young woman spoke to herself, "and they need to be slain."

**XX**

**WHOA! Mini fight scene. Kinda boring…not much to that…but it's going to be kind of important later I guess. I dunno…it had to happen sometime. Next chapter's going to be a fun one to write. :D **

**And in response to Spud last chapter, this story needed some Spud. It's going to be pretty serious all the way through…we needed a little…Spudness there. Lol. **

**Thank you all so much for your support. :) Readers and reviewers both. You are all secretly my favorite! :)**

**~ada**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Dreamscape**

The young, fierce hunter sat unmoving on the stiff mattress staring at the peeling orange paint on the wall. She was, to say the least, bored out of her mind.

Being cooped up in such a small space, there really wasn't much for her to do. Once she had let slip her love of books to the dragons, they made sure that she always had something new to read, which even she admitted was halfway decent of them. They also supplied her with a drawing pad and some pencils. Though she never actually told them, she loved drawing, painting, and designing things even though she wasn't the best artist.

The more she stared at the hideous paint on the wall, the more she wanted to ask the dragons for permission to paint it a different color. It wasn't like she had anything else to do. She could fix the place up. Make it look a little nicer.

Not because she WANTED to help them of course but because she wanted something to do.

She absolutely hated the color orange. And the curtains…the curtains were a kind of brown…and they were ripped. The scratchy blanket covering the bed was a kind of pale green, and absolutely none of the furniture matched. It was honestly beginning to drive her a bit crazy.

She really couldn't see why the dragons wouldn't allow her to remodel the room. It was, after all, basically a prison cell. Why should they care how it looked? She was living there, so she should be able to make it the color that she wanted.

Blue.

She wanted it to be blue. A kind of deep sea blue or maybe a sky blue. Something that represented freedom and life. Not…rotting oranges.

She stood up off of the bed, the hard wood floor creaking beneath her as she continued to muse over the idea of redecorating the place. If it were blue, it would match her eyes.

She loved her eyes.

Sometimes, when she looked in the mirror, she saw a girl she didn't even know, and this girl sometimes scared her. Sometimes, the differences between good and evil would get so blurred together in her mind that she didn't know if she was doing the right thing or not. But her eyes…her eyes always portrayed the person that she wanted to be no matter what situation she was in. They reminded her of who she was.

Shaking away her thoughts, she began to look around the room, wondering what new things she could do with the furniture.

She casually walked over to the dresser and began opening drawers to see what kind of condition they were in.

However, when she opened the last drawer, she found that there was a small object inside.

Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she picked it up to examine it closer, and she almost immediately recognized what it was.

She had never actually seen one before, but she had read about them many times.

The small, seemingly ordinary bracelet that she held in her hand was a dream charm.

If the Huntsclan's teachings were correct, it allowed a person to explore the dream realm and get a look into other people's dreams, hopes, fears, and thoughts. It was a valuable tool for a person who sought to find the weaknesses of their enemy. The Huntsclan, however, could never get their hands on one. They were magical objects, and magical creatures seemed to be pretty good at keeping them out of the hands of the Huntsclan.

So why were the dragons keeping one in their prison room?

The young woman glanced over at the door, and then to the ancient clock that hung on the wall. It was almost midnight. The dragons were surely asleep. They would never even know if she used it.

Anxious to see how it worked, she quickly walked over to the dusty old lamp to shut it off before climbing back on to the bed and throwing the blanket over her body.

She slipped the bracelet on her wrist and focused on trying to get to sleep.

She was a bit too excited by the possibilities of what she could do to fall asleep right away, but eventually, she felt herself drifting off into a peaceful and relaxing sleep.

**XX**

She opened her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar place.

She was in a long gray hallway with hundreds of doors, and each door had a name on it. As she read through these names, she recognized people that she knew, including a lot of her old friends from the Huntsclan.

She realized that this must be the dream corridor where everyone's thoughts and dreams were to be found.

She walked down the hallway in awe. It was so amazing the things that magic could do. This was truly fascinating, and this was something else she could add to her list of things to do.

There were so many people that she could find out many things about. The possibilities were endless!

She continued to walk until she came across the door of someone very familiar to her: herself.

Very curious as to what it would look like inside of her very mind, the young lady pushed open the door hastily and walked inside into her very memories.

The first thing she saw was her last memory from the Huntsclan. She watched in awe as the painful memory played before her.

"_I can't afford to lose anymore," he explained, folding his hands neatly behind his back. "I need people out there who can win…who can defeat these dragons…they must be destroyed. All of them."_

"_And clearly," the Huntsman continued turning his back to her," you are incapable of doing so, Huntsgirl."_

"_Master…no…I…" Huntsgirl struggled frantically to find the right words to save her position. _

"_Silence!" He spun around quickly and shot her a deadly glare. "You have failed me for the last time! You are banished from the Huntsclan."_

She shuddered and walked swiftly towards the door. She knew what was coming next, and she didn't intend on staying to see it.

As she walked forward into the next room, another memory began to play before her. This one was a bit happier. It was the first time she met her friend, Vianna. She had to be about ten at the time…

_Vianna was sitting alone crying in the hallway when she found her. _

"_What's wrong?" She asked her curiously as she sat down on the floor next to the crying girl. _

"_Well," the sad girl finally looked up at her and wiped away the tears, "I told this boy I liked him," she sniffed, "and he told me I was ugly." _

"_Wow," she responded sympathetically. "Well," she paused for a moment to find the right words, "that isn't true you know." _

"_Really?" The young girl looked up at her again. _

"_Of course," the blonde smiled kindly. "Besides, boys are stupid anyway." _

"_I guess," Vianna shrugged in reply. _

"_Come on!" She stood up and motioned for her to follow. "Let's go back to my room and play a game or something."_

_The girl finally smiled before hopping up to her feet. "Okay," she sniffed, wiping away the last of her tears. _

She smiled at the memory. She had been good friends with Vianna for a couple of years before her friend had been transferred to another base. They still kept in touch every once in awhile.

She then continued to walk into the next memory, which again wasn't one she really liked to think about, and it really was one that she didn't remember that well. She had only been five at the time.

"_Get up!" A harsh voice called out to her. _

_She cringed from her place on the floor. This had been the fourth time she had been beaten to the ground in the past hour. _

"_Get up now!" The Huntsman yelled again. _

_She slowly pushed herself up off of the floor and faced her opponent, which happened to be a boy maybe around seven. _

"_Master," she turned to face him pleadingly, "master, I'm so tired." _

"_Enough!" He silenced her quickly. "You must train hard, Huntsgirl. There are dragons out there that need to be slain!" _

She shuddered and pushed past this memory as well, opening the door to the next and shutting it closed behind her. She leaned back against it and tried to recover from what she had just seen.

She remembered being pushed hard to train, but she didn't remember just how hard she had been pushed.

She then suddenly became very aware of her surroundings. This was definitely a memory that she didn't remember at all.

She appeared to be…in a hospital. She looked around the room carefully to see a woman sitting on a bed.

_A male nurse walked into the room holding two babies bundled up in pink blankets. _

"_Congratulations! They're twins!" He informed her happily as he handed her the babies. _

_The woman's eyes were sparkling with happiness as she looked at her two new daughters with pride. _

_The nurse then studied the newborn baby whom she was holding in her right arm carefully. _

"_Look at this strange birthmark!" He looked at it with fascination. "It looks almost like a…dragon." _

_Another nurse then proceeded to wheel her bed into another room, where a man that looked to be her husband was waiting. _

_However, unbeknownst to them, they weren't alone. _

"_Huntsmaster," the nurse bowed, "we have a new initiate," she informed him. _

_A man stepped out from behind the shadows, closely followed by two others. They were all dressed in Huntsclan uniforms. _

_The Huntsman reached out and grabbed the baby with the birthmark from the woman, who was held back by the two additional members. _

"_Come little one," he held up the baby to get a better look. "You're one of us." _

**XX**

**I would just like to inform you all that this must be some kind of record for me. I don't think I've updated anything this fast since the first fanfic I wrote, which was almost exactly two years ago. So YAY! **

**Also, this is longer than the other chapters, and I did this all in one sitting. BAM! I should seriously get some sort of award for this…**

**I hope it's good though…It's like…midnight here. So yeah. I should probably sleep. **

**Thank you ALL so MUCH for your SUPPORT! **

**~ada**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Live a Lie**

Confusion, longing, anger, but most of all shock shot through her as she slumped back against the wall and slid down on to the cold tiled floor.

For a moment, she couldn't think at all. Her mind was blank with shock, yet she couldn't even remember what it was that shocked her.

But then the Huntsman's cold and cruel voice brought her back to the reality of the situation.

"_You are one of us."_

It ran through her head repeatedly, slapping the truth right in her face.

She had never even questioned that her parents were truly dead. The Huntsman's story of the car accident in late December seemed reasonable enough to her. She had never seen any motive that he might have for lying about it.

Until now.

It was the perfect lie really. With her parents out of the way, she'd have nowhere to go. She'd have no choice but to stay with the Huntsclan.

She'd have no one to miss, no one to escape to, no one to love or care about.

But that's exactly what they wanted. Cold, heartless people who were brainwashed into thinking that their whole life wasn't a lie.

But was her life a lie? What exactly was the truth?

She had never realized it before, but she was empty. A brainwashed, shell of a person without an inside.

She had never loved another human being before. She didn't even know if she was capable of it. The Huntsclan had raised her to be a fighter, not a lover. They built her tough. They built her to be a…monster?

Was she a monster?

For the first time, she questioned her life. Did she know the difference between right and wrong?

She then noticed the tear tracks running down her face and quickly brushed them away. The Huntsclan never permitted crying. She hadn't cried since she was a baby. But this sudden realization was just too much to take in.

She took a deep breath before finally standing up. She wiped away the last of her tears, and then, she made up her mind.

When she escaped from the dragons, she would find her family.

**XX**

Once she had woken up from her startling dream, her mind was too full of unanswered questions to even try to go back to sleep.

She sighed as she looked at the digital clock the dragons had allowed her to have in her room. It was only 4:03 am.

She looked around her room and her eyes quickly fell on the sketch pad and pencils she had left sitting open on the dresser. She crawled out of the bed and tiptoed quietly over to the dresser to retrieve it.

Then, she sat back down on the bed and let her creative imagination take over.

**XX**

Morning came a lot sooner than she thought it would, and with it came the rain again. She actually loved the rain. Almost everything about it appealed to her in some way. She loved the smell of it, the feel of it on her skin, and the sound of it on the roof at night.

Rain helped her concentrate in a way. She realized this as she was adding the finishing touches to her picture. She held it back to get a better look.

It was of a simple rose containing many petals, not all completely visible. The rose itself was also somewhat hard to see as it was entangled in nothing but thick, prickly thorns. For a simple picture, it sure had taken her a long time, but it really wasn't that bad at all.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and she set the sketch pad back on her dresser and glanced over at the clock. It was nearly 7:30. Time for the dragons to bring her breakfast.

It was the younger red one that brought in the fruit and granola bars this time. He looked awfully chipper for 7:30 in the morning.

"Good morning!" He said setting the food down in front of her.

"Morning," she growled back.

"How are you today?" He asked taking a look around the room. Something seemed to have caught his eye because he suddenly seemed somewhat distant.

"Shouldn't you be in school or something?" She mumbled tiredly. She was starting to regret not sleeping.

"It's Saturday," he hesitated for a moment before replying. He was still focused on something else. Then she realized what he was staring at. Her picture. She had left the sketch book opened.

"Did you draw this?" The dragon stepped a little closer to get a better look.

She snorted. "Who else would have, dragon boy?"

"Good point," he shrugged before focusing back on the picture. It was starting to make her uncomfortable how interested he seemed in it. "This is really very good," he added after a moment.

"Thanks…I think," she hesitated for a moment. Why was this dragon being so nice today?

"Are you okay? You look…sick," he told her, carefully noting the dark circles and dullness of her eyes. She also looked a little pale.

"I'm fine," she snapped. "I didn't sleep much last night."

"You know," he began almost annoyingly, "I left the door opened…I don't understand why you aren't trying to escape."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "What's the point, dragon?"

"So," he stared her down for a minute, "this means you don't want to go back to the Huntsclan?"

"Why are you being so nosy?" She snapped.

He quickly held his hands up in defense. "Sorry! Sorry…I'm just trying to understand you…"

"Well don't because you never will," she folded her arms across her chest and turned away.

He sighed and decided to drop the matter. "If you need anything else, just yell down and one of us will come up, okay?" He turned to leave.

"Wait!" She called out just as he was reaching for the door handle. "I do have one request."

He turned and looked at her quizzically, waiting for her to continue.

"Can I please repaint these awful colored walls?"

**XX**

Red.

That was the color paint they had given her, and that was the color that three of the four walls in her "room" now were.

It certainly had been an odd request, and the dragons hesitated and thought it through for an hour or so before handing over the paint. There really couldn't be any ulterior motives for painting a wall, could there? Nevertheless, the American Dragon had been watching every stroke she made with the brush. It was beginning to drive her crazy.

"You know," she started, clearly annoyed, "do you have to stare at me that closely?" She flipped around to stare down the dragon and that chunky dog that followed him everywhere.

"Just following orders," the dragon replied with a shrug. "It was an odd request. How do we know that you aren't planning to attack us or something?"

She laughed sarcastically. "Yeah," she waved the brush in front of his face, "death by paintbrush."

She turned back around to get back to work. It was already almost 7:00 pm. This project had taken her almost the entire day, but her hard work had paid off. The walls looked SO much better. She could finally look at them without cringing.

It was obvious she had been painting the entire day. The white apron the dragons had given her was spotted red in multiple places along with a few spots of paint that had splattered on her face. Her hair, which was pulled back in a braid, was starting to come undone, and she was beginning to have trouble keeping the paint out of it.

"Why did you want to paint the walls so badly then?" She heard him ask.

"Um," she replied without lowering her brush, "did you see them before? I was getting sick of staring at that ugly peeling orange stuff."

"It looked like someone threw up before," the dog nodded in agreement. "It looks a lot better red."

"It kinda looks like blood now," the American Dragon noted.

"Kind of," the dog looked around. "Works well for a prisoner's room."

They both laughed at the comment.

"Ugh!" She whirled around, accidentally sending the paint off of her brush flying all over the room. "Will you two just shut up!"

They were now officially driving her insane. She just wanted them to go away. She just wanted everything to just go away.

She finished the last of the painting hurriedly before she spoke to either the dragon or the dog again.

"Look," she sighed, "it's been a long day. Can you leave now and let me rest awhile?"

"I don't know," the dragon responded. He turned to the dog. "Can we leave yet?"

"You know, kid, I'm not really sure."

"Seriously," she set the brush down and took off the apron. "I just want to be alone. What am I going to do?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "I guess," the dragon said as he stood up and walked towards the door. The dog followed closely behind.

"Good night," she heard him say before closing and locking the door behind him.

She sighed, relieved that she was finally alone, and it was quiet enough for her to think.

She had to figure out where this long lost family of hers was. She had to get out of here and out of the Huntsclan.

It had taken her three months, but she finally realized what it was this whole time that she had wanted so badly.

She just wanted to be normal.

A normal family, with a normal life…just a girl who went to school, had friends, maybe even had a boyfriend.

Her mind drifted back to the younger dragon. He probably led a more normal life than she did. He probably had a family and friends. Perhaps a girlfriend.

She sighed as she came to a final conclusion. She was going to find her family, and she was going to do whatever she had to to do so.

**XX**

**UPDATE! YES! Sorry it's been a little while…and that this chapter wasn't very interesting. Just some necessary character building. And transitioning, stuff like that that NEEDS to happen! Looks like the next chapter is another character builder. BUT something interesting is going to happen next chapter…so…stay tuned! :) **

**Thank you all for your support! You are all my favorites!**

**~ada**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Truth or Lie**

Rose took a look around at the completed room.

In addition to repainting the walls, the dragons had also bought some new blankets and sheets for the bed that, to her astonishment, matched the paint perfectly. They did not, however, buy a new mattress, but the overall appearance of the room seemed far more appealing. It was beginning to become less and less of a prison cell and more like a personal bedroom.

Her belongings, including her books, sketch pads, and notebooks were neatly organized on the dresser and bookshelf. The dragons had also bought her some cheap (but new) cloths and had given her an old computer with no internet access. It was, however, good for playing games and writing stories.

The bars on her window had been covered up with thick red and white curtains that also matched the colors of the room.

All in all, the room looked fantastic.

Interestingly enough, her door now remained unlocked most of the day.

The dragons of course realized that at this point she really had nowhere to go, so there was no point in keeping her locked up in one room. However, they did not allow her to leave the shop. In fact, she had never even gone downstairs to the main shop part of the building before. There really wasn't any need to.

One day, however, the older dragon insisted that she come downstairs and eat dinner with them in the back of the shop. He was, for a change, in human form, which struck her as slightly suspicious. Not that she hadn't already seen his human form.

"It would do you good to get out of this room," he insisted, and to her, this persistence was almost suspicious as well.

He must have been able to tell from her facial expression that she was uncomfortable.

"You may stay here if you wish," he added, "but it would be easier for me and healthier for you to just come eat with the rest of us."

She sighed as she felt her stomach rumble right on cue. What did she have to lose? She was already out of her box enough by living and conversing with dragons on a daily basis.

"Alright…wise…old…Chinese man," she hesitated awkwardly.

She was almost irritated by the smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips. "You may call me Lao Shi," he properly introduced himself.

She waited until he turned to guide her toward to ground floor before rolling her eyes.

She had, of course, been in this particular hallway before. After all…she had to shower and use the restroom somewhere. But she had always been monitored carefully. This time, the dragon…or…Lao Shi apparently…wasn't even looking back to make sure she was following him.

He knew she wouldn't leave. Of course he knew. He was much smarter than she had originally anticipated. She didn't want to leave, and he knew it.

She followed him down the stairs and into a room that she had never seen before. He guided her into the back room, where that flabby dog and some boy she didn't know were sitting on the couch.

"Jake," Lao Shi addressed the boy, "go upstairs and bring this girl a bowl of noodles."

He turned around and looked her dead in the eye. He almost looked…surprised. And there was something about him that made her believe that she knew him.

He broke the stare and nodded, silently walking toward the stairs.

Then it clicked. Of course she knew him. The other dragon…the American Dragon. Who else would be randomly lounging in the dragon's quarters? She couldn't believe that she hadn't realized it before.

She sat down quietly and somewhat cautiously on the couch next to the ugly dog.

"How's it going, sweetheart?" He addressed her presence with a mouthful of food.

She ignored him, instead gazing at him with a dazed look. She was still trying to make sense of why she didn't recognize the boy at first. What did Lao Shi call him again? John? Jason?

Jake…it was Jake.

Then she realized what it was. This kid just seemed so…human. If she were to run into him on the street and have a conversation with the guy, she never would even know he was a dragon. He looked so…normal.

And he wasn't bad looking at all…in fact, he was kind of…cute.

She immediately slapped herself mentally. He was a dragon, cute or not. He was probably a horrible person who did horrible things to people.

She shook her head. She was putting too much thought into this. She pulled herself together just in time for him to return with a bowl of noodles.

"Here you go," he spoke, and when he spoke, he seemed so…naturally friendly. Not at all like a terrible person.

She took it from him silently and began to eat.

"Yeah, she's not very social, kid," the pudgy Shar Pei shrugged.

"Well I probably wouldn't want to talk to you either if I was her," Jake shrugged.

The dog let out a sarcastic laugh. "It's not like she's talking to you either, kid. Maybe if I was her I wouldn't want to talk to YOU!"

Jake starred at him blankly before turning to her. "Just ignore him," he advised. "That's what I always do."

Despite trying with all her might not to, she couldn't help but smile a little through her confusion.

He must have noticed her look of confusion because he sent her a look that said, "Are you alright?"

She cursed inwardly. Both of the dragons were good at reading emotions. The younger dragon…err…Jake…must be smarter than she thought as well.

"Why do you look so normal?" The question seemed so random, even to herself, but she felt like she absolutely needed to ask.

Judging from the look on his face, it wasn't a question that he was expecting from her.

"I don't know," he laughed a little. "You look pretty normal too."

"But…you're a dragon…"

"And you're a slayer…"

She paused for a moment, and he took advantage of the moment to go into further detail.

"Most dragons do look pretty normal," he sat down between her and the dog as he explained. "It's our cover…so no one expects anything. No one will know," he added. "Hell, I didn't even know until I was 13."

Great. As if she wasn't confused enough.

How could someone NOT know they were a terrible mythological creature? Wouldn't it be obvious? Unless, of course, this kid grew up just like any other kid would.

But that couldn't be right. Of course that couldn't be right. He was a dragon. A scaly terrifying monster. He had to be lying.

Yeah…that was it. He was lying. If dragons are truly terrible creatures, then lying would be a natural part of their personality. He just made that up to make himself seem more human to her, and she was not fooled.

She continued to eat in silence. Even when the dragons handed her a piece of chocolate cake, which happened to be her absolute favorite thing in the world, she remained silent.

"So," the dragon named Lao Shi broke the silence. "We have been monitoring Huntsclan activity lately, and they appear to be up to something."

She shrugged as she continued to eat her cake. She still refused to speak.

"I do believe it that," he hesitated for a moment to find the right words, "it may be in your best interest to tell us what you know."

She forcefully set her plate down on the coffee table with a clang. "Is that what this is all about? Trying to get me to talk?"Her tone sounded even scarier than her typical Huntsgirl voice.

No one said anything at all.

"Whatever," she stood up and stomped toward the stairs. "I'll be in my room."

The three remained quiet as they listened to the thump of her feet as she went up the stairs and down the hallway. Then they heard the door slam shut.

"Pff…teenagers," Fu Dog shook his head. "They are all the same if you ask me."

Lao Shi sighed and sat down on the couch. "I do not know how we are going to get through to her."

"Keep feeding her chocolate cake," Fu Dog suggested immediately. "Did you see how fast she ate that cake? Give her some more and eventually, she'll talk."

"Yeah, that's not a great plan," Jake replied as he sat down next to his grandfather.

Lao Shi shook his head. "Just keep being kind towards her, and eventually, she will realize how terrible the Huntsclan really is. I can see good in her."

"I hope you're right, Gramps," he folded his arms across his chest, "because I've got a feeling the Huntsclan is planning something terrible."

"I'm afraid so too," he looked away. "If we cannot get her on our side, we may all be in terrible danger."

**XX**

**DUN DUN DUN! **

**Long overdue update. Sorry about that. But…SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE! One more week of school for me…and then I can hopefully update more on a weekly schedule…for both this fanfic and my…other one. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Review if you'd like…That would be kind of you. OMG THE BUTTON IS BIG AND BLUE NOW! Lol. **

**~ada**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Strikeout **

After almost four months, her usual drawing and reading in her "bedroom" had become rather boring. More and more, she found herself longing for the company of another human being.

As guilty as she felt spending time with dragons, it was much more entertaining than reading _To Kill a Mockingbird_ for the millionth time. They did, after all, have a television.

So on days like this when there was nothing at all to do, she found herself wondering to the lower level of the building, where the spiky-haired kid, old man, and fat gray dog lounged around most of the afternoon. There was a two hour training period somewhere in there followed by dinner. Sometimes Jake stayed for dinner, sometimes he went home.

Home. Because he DID have a home to go to…

On this particular night, Jake had chosen to eat dinner with his grandfather.

When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, the young man immediately jumped off of his seat on the couch to grab her a plate of food.

She nodded in appreciation as he handed her what looked to be some orange chicken and some noodles before heading back to the couch.

"There's room for you to sit if you want," he motioned for her to come over. "We are watching the Yankees."

She shifted uncomfortably for a minute. His voice sounded so welcoming…but spending time with dragons still didn't feel right to her.

"Who are the Yankees?" She asked instead of giving him a direct answer.

He gave her a wide-eyed look in reply. "You don't know who the Yankees are? New York's baseball team?"

She shook her head.

"Have you ever seen a baseball game before?" He asked, his face still holding a shocked expression.

"The Huntsman didn't allow me to watch baseball," she replied quietly looking at the floor. She definitely felt out of her element here.

"Well then what are you waiting for? Come over here and watch it with us!" He motioned for her to come with his hand.

She hesitated for a moment.

"Come on sweetheart," the chubby dog chimed in, "baseball is America's sport. You have to watch it sometime."

Without saying a word, she walked over to the couch and sat down in between the two.

"There ya go!" The dog responded to her actions and then proceeded to put a Yankees cap on top of her head. "Now you look like a true fan!"

She smiled awkwardly in return. She suddenly had no idea why she had agreed to this.

After awhile though, she realized that this…this baseball could be kind of interesting. It was somewhat entertaining to see people…and animals for that matter…screaming at a television screen.

And the game itself wasn't too hard to understand. She was starting to get the hang of it.

"So…what happens when you strikeout exactly?" She asked as one of the players took a swing and missed. "You just go back to the dugout a failure or what?"

"Yup, pretty much," the boy named Jake replied with a shrug.

"And…don't they get punished for that?" She asked in a very confused manner. "Is there some sort of…torture machine in that dugout or something?"

The two burst out laughing almost immediately. "Torture machine? Why would they need to be tortured?" Jake managed to choke out in between laughs.

"Well, for failing," she didn't think it seemed like that strange of a question. She was punished every time she came back to the Huntslair a failure.

"Maybe that's the way things worked in the Huntsclan, but not in the real world," he wiped away a tear from laughing. "Truth is, you are going to try, and sometimes you are going to fail. It's nothing to be punished for…at least you tried, right?"

"I guess I've never thought about it like that," she replied after a moment. "That's not the way I was raised."

"Well, that's the way that it is," he smiled, and his smile, she realized, was beautiful in itself. It lit up his entire face. She was momentarily distracted by this realization before he spoke again and pulled her out of the trance.

"Sometimes, you are just going to strikeout."

**XX**

The dragons had both gone out to do a quick patrol of the city, leaving her alone with the creepy dog.

Honestly…what was he going to do if she decided she wanted to escape? He was a dog for crying out loud.

She also found his constant press for answers on her life in the Huntsclan very annoying.

So, instead of sticking around with him, she decided to go back upstairs to her bedroom where she could spend some time alone.

They really weren't so bad at all. Jake and his grandfather…and even the smelly dog they referred to as a "Fu." What the hell was a "Fu?" As annoying as this "Fu," was, he also happened to be pretty funny at times.

Lao Shi…well…he had been nothing but kind to her since the moment she had been captured by them.

Deep down, she had realized it for a long time, but only now was she finally allowing herself to admit it; the dragons were truly and honestly trying to help her.

It confused her. After the four months that had passed, she did believe that they had good intentions…but it was in no way easy for her to think against everything she was ever taught to believe.

"What is the truth?" She wondered for the millionth time.

She sighed and decided to just not think about it. It was getting late anyway.

As she crawled into bed and began to drift off to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder what the Huntsclan was up to.

**XX**

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the Huntsclan remained hard at work. For them, there was no such thing as "break time." No such thing as "watching the Yankee's game." They worked from sun up to sun down.

The Huntsman looked down at his clipboard as the rest of his clan busied away on the computers that surrounded the room completely. His plan seemed to be running along smoothly for the time being.

He had done his research, and he had everything set up perfectly. It wouldn't be long before he was ready to put his plan into action.

There was just one thing that was throwing him off, however. He had no apprentice.

Of course he could find a new one, but it was really starting to hit him that Huntsgirl was not there to assist him.

No one that he could replace her with would be as well trained and determined as she was. No matter, he would, of course, be able to proceed without her.

He shook off the thought of her and her possible whereabouts almost immediately. He did, after all, have more important things to worry about.

He had almost every member of the Huntsclan searching through magical books and articles for any clues as to where he might find the 13 Aztec crystal skulls he needed in order to fulfill his plan of wiping out magical creatures forever.

After months of prior planning, they had only just begun the search for the skulls. Nonetheless, the Huntsman was becoming angry at the lack of significant progress in the past couple of days.

"Huntsmaster," a female Huntsclan member motioned for him to come over to her screen. She was currently typing away furiously and paused only when she saw him approaching. "I seem to have found something."

He leaned forward to get a better look at her screen. "It seems the location of one of the skulls is in a cave not too far from here," she pulled up a picture on the screen. "We should be able to retrieve it easily."

The Huntsman looked at the picture very carefully before turning to face the rest of the clan, who had been anxiously listening to the conversation.

"I need a team! Quickly!" He ordered, and immediately a few members sprung into action. Without an officially apprentice, a full team of perhaps five members would be needed for this mission.

"Tonight, we will retrieve the first Aztec Skull."

**XX**

**Yay…update time! Again…same author…like twice in one week. Do I get an award for this? **

**But anyways, as I was writing this, I couldn't help but wonder, "If the Huntsclan used the skulls to destroy all magical creatures, what the hell would they do with their lives?" I guess they could sit down and watch that Yankees game finally. Lol. **

**But, as always, I thank you all for reading and following! I realize that this chapter was kind of a filler…but these are necessary because they will make those concluding few chapters SO much better! :) Thanks again!**

**Oh and by the way, just to get this out there, I hate the Yankees. Lol. **

**~ada**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Breaking Point**

She shot up into a sitting position with a scream.

It was the same dream…always the same dream. Ever since the day the Huntsman had kicked her out.

But it wasn't just a dream. It was real. It had really happened.

And now, here she was, four months later and still having nightmares about it.

She snuck a quick glance at the clock. It was almost midnight. The dog was most likely asleep, if he hadn't been awakened by her scream at least, and she assumed that the dragons were both still on patrol.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of the image of the Huntsman, cold and ruthless, throwing her out onto the streets…calling her a failure…leaving her alone.

Then again, she had always been alone.

She wiped away the sweat that was rolling down the side of her face and finally stood up off the bed. There was no way she was sleeping tonight.

**XX**

At first, the city had seemed calm.

As calm as New York City got anyways.

The skies were now completely dark, and Jake could hear a New York clock ringing in the distance, signaling that it was now midnight.

This was about the time that he and his grandfather finished the night patrol, but they had left a tad bit later than normal. Nevertheless, they were almost done.

They were currently flying on the outer edges of the city, where it was quiet and peaceful, and the city lights didn't prevent them from seeing the stars in the sky.

Yet, the city could still be seen in the distance. Magnificently lit and glowing.

It was really very pretty.

However, there were so many caves and trees that magical creatures got into all sorts of trouble. This particular part was a very popular hide out to the hob goblins of New York, which was why they made sure to check up on it regularly.

For awhile, everything had seemed perfectly at ease.

And then Jake heard something. It sounded like leaves rustling. Then… a voice.

"Gramps," he whispered, "do you hear that?"

His grandfather nodded silently and motioned for him to duck down under the bush.

Jake used his dragon ears to try to hear what they were saying, but they had stopped talking. The rustling sound, however, was getting closer and closer, and sure enough, Jake could see figures approaching through a hole in between the branches of the bush.

He tried to remain as still as possible, not even allowing himself to breathe.

"This way,"

He recognized the voice instantly. It was the Huntsman.

Once the Huntsman and the five or so Huntsclan members he had with him had passed their hiding place, Jake managed to sneak a look at his grandfather, who held the same clueless expression as he did.

What would the Huntsman be doing out here? This was hob goblin territory.

"What should we do?" Jake whispered once he was sure that the Huntsman was out of hearing range.

"We must follow them, carefully and quietly,"

Jake nodded silently before peering out of the bush. It looked like the Huntsman was a good distance away.

Careful not to make any noise, the two dragons silently flew in the direction that the Huntsman was headed.

They landed on the ground just in time to see him walk into a cave on the outer edge of the forest area.

"What is he doing?" Jake whispered.

The two waited for no longer than five minutes before the Huntsman reappeared with the other five Huntsclan members. Whatever he was up to, it hadn't taken him very long.

Then, Jake noticed that he was carrying some sort of box. He couldn't see it very well from a distance but it appeared to be wooden…with some sort of ancient carvings on the side in some language that was most likely dead.

"Gramps," Jake whispered quietly. The Huntsclan was still decently far away, but he didn't want to take any chances, "what is that?"

"I do not know," Lao Shi replied in the same hushed tone as Jake, "but the Huntsman would not want it without a reason."

"What should we do?"

"We must get that box away from him. When he comes back this way, we will attack," the elder dragon instructed.

"Our work here is done," the Huntsman spoke before leading the rest of the clan away from the cave.

Jake held his breath as he listened carefully to the sound of the Huntsclan's footsteps getting closer and closer. He peered through the bush, waiting until the Huntsman was directly in front of him.

Finally, he saw the boots of the Huntsman stop right in front of his hiding place, almost as if he knew they were there.

And that's when he attacked.

For a second, all that could be seen was a blur of blue, red, and maroon flying…falling…

After that horrifying second where nothing could be seen, Jake's vision finally cleared, and he was facing the Huntsman, who held a very surprised expression as he hurried to get back onto his feet.

Somehow, through it all, he had managed to keep his hold on the box. Now that Jake could see it clearly, he noticed that there was a thick metal lock on the box, proving whatever was inside held great magical value.

"Dragon," the Huntsman's voice remained calm and steady. "I was hoping we would meet again soon."

Jake snarled and tried to make a grab for the box, but the Huntsman was quicker. He through the box back to another Huntsclan member before Jake even moved a muscle, almost as if he could read his mind.

"You two are outnumbered 6 to 2," the Huntsman began in a sly voice. "It would be in your best interest to cooperate," he held out his staff and pointed it in Lao Shi's direction.

Then, he focused his attention back to Jake. "Dragon," he kept his weapon aimed at Lao Shi, "where is she?"

Jake cursed inwardly. This again…

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jake spoke for the first time, trying to keep his voice intimidating and low.

"Huntsgirl," the Huntsman moved his staff so it was pointed directly at his chest. "Where…is she?"

Jake swallowed and tried to remain expressionless. He had never been very good at lying. "We don't have her."

"Very well, dragons," the Huntsman growled. "I see we are going to have to do this the hard way."

Jake barely had time to react as the blast from the Huntsman's staff missed his hair by a millimeter. He dodged out of the way just in time to miss the next blow before finally getting into rhythm.

He rolled past the Huntsman on the ground and used his tail to send a female Huntsclan member flying into a tree. He watched her hit the forest floor with a groan before sensing the Huntsman's presence behind him.

He ducked out of instinct, and he heard the Huntsman's weapon slicing though the empty air above him. Jake flung his tail around, knocking the Huntsman off of his feet, but in the process, the Huntsman's fist came in contact with his jaw.

Jake cursed as the taste of blood filled his mouth.

He didn't have time to recover though as the Huntsman was already back up on his feet.

Jake snuck a quick glance at his grandfather, who was battling three Huntsclan members at the same time. The other two remained motionless in the bloodstained grass.

Jake felt the blood dripping down his chin as circled the Huntsman, who appeared to only have minor injuries thus far.

Jake looked up to see the full moon shining in between the branches of the trees. It was getting late, and he was getting tired. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

Jake was only vaguely aware of the Huntsman lunging toward him, and he gave a half-hearted, defensive swing of his tail.

Yet, the Huntsman collided forcefully with him, sending him hurling through the air and into a tree trunk.

Jake was now fully aware of the pain that pulsed through his head as he hit the ground with a thud.

He tried to sit up…to look the Huntsman dead in the eye. But he couldn't.

His vision blurred as he saw the Huntsman approaching him, staff raised high in the air.

He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, and it was getting harder and harder for him to hold on to consciousness.

"It's been fun, dragon," the cruel voice of the Huntsman rang over and over again in his ear.

Then, there was a flash of blue and a scream of pain before he gave in to the dizziness that had been plaguing him.

**XX**

**BAM! Update! **

**Sorry this took so long…only a month or so…I gotta keep up on Secrets of the Past too you know…But I'm actually reaching the end of that one. So that's good news! **

**Anyways, I'd really like to thank all of you for your support and your words of encouragement! You are all awesome….and don't worry guys. I'm not going to stop writing this. Just because I don't update for a month doesn't mean I'm not working on an update. :) **

**I'm too freakin' stubborn to quit. XD **

**Thanks again,**

**~ada**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: New Beginnings **

From the moment she walked down stairs that morning, she knew that something had happened the previous night.

For starters, Jake was nowhere to be seen. He was always there. Always. Especially now, during the summer when he didn't attend school. It was almost noon.

Then her eyes drifted to Lao Shi, who was covered in cuts and bruises and bandages. Something had definitely happened the night before…

And then she remembered her nightmare. She shuddered at the memory. She had been unable to sleep, so she had been awake when the dragons returned home from the night patrol. She had heard them banging around frantically.

In the many months she had spent there, she had never heard them come home from the night patrol before. They were always quiet.

But as she stared at the elderly man and the pudgy dog, she concluded that it was not any of her business, and it would be out of place to ask questions or show that she even cared.

She mentally stabbed herself. She didn't care, so she would just stop thinking about it.

But even as she denied her curiosity, the question was left unanswered in the back of her mind. Somehow she had a feeling she knew who Jake and Lao Shi had fought the night before, and she couldn't help but notice the dreadful pit that filled her stomach.

**XX**

It had been Lao Shi's idea for her to go up to the roof. He told her that some fresh air would do her good.

And it definitely did feel good. The breeze blew gently through her hair as she stared out across the city lights, the sun setting in the distance. She had forgotten how beautiful the city looked at night, and she had forgotten the feel of the wind against her skin.

She couldn't help but let her mind drift back to her dreams. Whenever she closed her eyes, the Huntsman was there. His cold eyes glaring at her with disapproval and disappointment. The only things she had ever even known.

And this realization terrified her. She didn't even know what it was to feel joy…or hope…or love…did it even exist?

She shook her head. She was merely an empty shell of a person, and it took leaving the Huntsclan for her to realize it.

"Mind if I join you?" She jumped a little upon hearing a voice come from behind her. She turned around to see Jake standing casually just a few feet behind her.

She nodded silently, pulling her knees to her chest as he plopped down beside her.

Even though it was dark, she could see the cuts and bandages on his arms, as well as the bandage that was wrapped around his head. He looked worse than Lao Shi had. Still, she couldn't help but wonder where he had been all day.

"I love coming up here at night," Jake broke the silence. She glanced over at him and noticed that he was staring off into the distance.

"It helps me think sometimes," he added, finally looking her in the eyes.

"I couldn't sleep last night." She blurted out. "I heard you come back…"

Her voice drifted off, and she could tell that he knew where she was going. She didn't even ask as he began to explain what had happened.

"Well," Jake sighed, "we were on the night patrol…as usual," he began slowly. "We were almost done, it had to have been close to midnight, and we ran into the Huntsman on the outskirts of the city."

She felt her heart drop from her chest. It had been the Huntsman. She looked away, almost feeling guilty.

"He had this…wooden box. Man…it was dark, but I think it had some ancient carvings on the side. And…and it had a big metal lock on it."

She looked away, remaining quiet and allowing him to continue his explanation.

"Of course he wouldn't want it for no reason," Jake continued, "so we fought. And I hit my head…and that's the last thing I remember."

She looked back at him, hoping that the guilt she was feeling wasn't showing through her facial expressions.

She did feel guilty. And she wasn't quite sure why. She shouldn't…she didn't give him those cuts, it wasn't her job to protect him…he was just lucky that she didn't try to kill him in his sleep.

So instead of saying anything at all, she remained silent and swung her legs over the edge of the building, pretending to be fascinated by the New York skyline.

However, she could still feel his presence behind her, waiting for her to say something…or do something, and the thought of him expecting anything out of her irritated the young woman.

Naturally, she was caught off guard when he began talking again.

"You know," he spoke softly, "the Huntsman is a bad guy. He's…twisted and…and it might not even be his fault. Just like I'm sure it was never your fault you were in the Huntsclan, but…he needs to be stopped."

"I'm pretty good at seeing the good in people," he continued, "but…I look at him…and I see nothing but evil."

"You on the other hand…" he hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right thing to say, "you are capable of being a good person. I know you are…"

"And…you would really….really be helping us out if you told us everything you know about this twisted little plan of his," he concluded hopefully.

She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether or not to say anything at all. But then, without her even realizing what she was doing, it all came out.

"The last few months I was in the Huntsclan," she began, her voice cracking slightly, "the Huntsman didn't trust me at all. I was losing focus, and…and I guess I was beginning to question myself a little bit. Like you said, it had never been a life I would have chosen for myself."

"But I'd never known anything different," she explained. "I guess…I guess in a way I was brainwashed to look at things from his point of view. So…when I started failing missions, I was punished…and abused in ways…And he stopped telling me things…Like important details in his plans.

"Then, after losing a fight with," she stopped to think for a moment, "you actually, he lost it. I was becoming a failure, and failure was not acceptable in his eyes. That was the day that he kicked me out, and that was the day you found me on the streets."

"For…the longest time, I hated you for making me fail, and for getting me kicked out, and for locking me up in this shop," she continued.

"It confused me how you and your grandfather treated me," she confessed. "I was supposed to be the enemy, and you treated me more like a friend. Better than the Huntsman ever had."

"I guess that's when I began to question my loyalty to him, but then I discovered something else…"

"I was sort of…snooping around in my room one night…and I found a dream charm," she admitted glancing over at him for the first time since she had began talking. He didn't look mad by any means, so she continued on.

"I don't know what possessed me to use it, but I did…and I went back into my memories. It was hard for me…to see the way the Huntsman always treated me, and I guess that proved to me that he was a horrible person."

"Then, I discovered something else…When I was little, the Huntsman always told me that my parents had died when I was very young, and that I would never be able to remember them or see them again. And I always believed him because…I guess I really didn't have a reason not to," she shrugged.

"But when I was in the dream world, the last memory that I saw was of me the day I was born. The doctors all noticed my birthmark," she held up her arm and examined it. "And eventually, the Huntsman showed up…and he took me away from my parents."

She sighed, suddenly realizing that she had basically just spilled her heart out to this random boy who was supposed to be her greatest enemy. It had felt good though to tell someone, and unlike anyone she had ever known in her life, he had actually kept quiet and listened to her.

Somewhat embarrassed, she looked away. She hadn't really even answered his question. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this…"

"No…no," he replied almost instantly, "it's fine. That's…that's a lot for you to have to deal with."

She sighed and couldn't help but smile slightly. "Yeah…it is."

"I'm sorry," he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"I'm sorry too," she replied quietly. "For judging you the way that I did and…well…trying to kill you," she laughed a little.

"It's not your fault, you know," he looked over at her, "don't be too hard on yourself."

She looked away, taking in his words. How could she have ever judged him the way that she had? Hated him and thought of him as a disgusting monster, when all this time, he had been this normal, kind, and funny human being.

She could almost feel the controversy in her mind beginning to subside, and the evil part of her getting weaker and weaker.

"Well," he stood up and stretched his arms, "it's getting late. I should probably go home and get some sleep."

"Me too," she stood up and began to walk toward the stairs to go back into the shop.

"Nice talking to you…uhhh…miss," Jake addressed her awkwardly.

She laughed a little and turned around to face him one last time.

"Rose," she said.

"My name is Rose."

"Well then," he smiled slightly, "nice to meet you, Rose."

**XX**

***Glances at clock* Whoa! It's later than I thought it was…guess I just got caught up trying to finish this. I think it's the longest chapter yet. But…it was fun to write. :D **

**Sorry it took a little while *cue lame excuse* I just got back from vacation and I was gone for like two weeks. **

**It is getting harder to write though with so many other things going on, so in all honesty, your support is very very helpful and I appreciate it a lot. Thank you all very much. :) You are all my favorite people! **

**Seeya next time,**

**ada**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Someday**

The sun was shining brightly through her opened window, informing her that it was time to wake up, but she was still so tired.

Even after she had poured out her heart to a stranger (and enemy for that matter), she was still having problems falling asleep at night. Every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw the Huntsman's cold, angry eyes or magical creatures dying at his hands…or her parents.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her train of thought.

"Rose!" She heard Jake call from outside her door.

She groaned and rolled over onto her other side.

"Rose! Time to get up!" He called again.

With a sigh, she slowly sat herself up. Using her right arm to keep the sun out of her eyes, she glanced over at the clock.

"_7:16 a.m.," _she thought, _"what could he possibly want this early?" _

She watched as the doorknob began to turn and the door swung open.

And there he was. Dressed and ready to go.

She somehow felt embarrassed sitting there with her hair standing up in every direction and in sweats that she assumed used to be his.

Then she noticed that he was holding a small red backpack, while another one was on his back.

"What's that for?" She asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"It's for you!" He beamed happily and far too cheerfully for 7:16 in the morning. "You're coming to school with me!"

**XX**

"This is insane," she said aloud as she trudged along next to him on the New York sidewalk. She hadn't left the shop in the many months she had been there, and she had never been to school before.

She had always been too busy training. And when she had been in school, it had only involved magical creatures and mythology.

"Don't worry," he replied calmly, "Gramps has it all figured out. He managed to make up a fake id for you and filled out some paper work that makes it appear that he is your legal guardian…I'm not sure how really…"

"So…what's my name then?" She asked curiously. She had always just been "Huntsgirl." No one had ever really called her by her real first name before.

"You are now Rose Killdragonosa," he smirked.

"Wow," she raised her eyebrows and looked away, "original."

He laughed, and she couldn't help but notice how beautiful his laugh was…and the way it made his whole face…his eyes…light up.

"Hey," his hands shot up defensively, "Fu Dog came up with it!" He smiled again, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked.

She forced herself to look away from him.

The school was now coming into view just ahead.

"So," she began quietly, "when did you decide that I was going to come to school with you?"

Jake sighed. "A couple nights ago. Grandpa and I agreed that you should get a shot at trying to live a normal life," he spoke, his eyes remaining fixed on the school. "It's the first day of the school year today, so you shouldn't have any problem fitting in. You are certainly welcome to sit with me and my friends at lunch. Unless you make some new friends that is," he smiled.

"Friends?" She laughed a little. "I don't know how to make friends. I don't know why anyone would want to be friends with me…"

"Well," Jake hesitated for a moment, "I'm your friend right?"

They both stopped walking for a minute. "Yeah," she said slowly, "yeah I guess we are friends."

He laughed a little and continued walking up the stairs and to the main entrance of the school.

"I'll walk you to your first class so you don't get lost," he told her as he held open the door for her. "I think you are in my mythology class, but nothing else, so if you need help finding a class, just ask someone."

"Kay," she replied casually as they walked down the halls of Fillmore High School.

As she looked around at the other students, she realized that it felt good to be walking down the halls of a public school filled with normal teenagers.

"Alright," Jake handed her a schedule as he stopped in front of a classroom door, "this is your algebra class. Here is your schedule for the rest of the day. Do you think you'll be okay?"

"Uh huh," she nodded, clutching her books against her chest. She thanked him as she opened the door and began the first day in her new life.

**XX**

By lunch time, she was already exhausted.

She sighed as she glanced around the lunch room for any sign of Jake. She didn't see him, so she followed the rest of the students into the lunch line and copied their every move.

Once she had her "food," she sat down at an empty table and began to evaluate her day.

School really was a lot of work. Even from the first day, she could tell that it would require her to think in a way that she had never thought before. Algebra had been especially hard for her since she had never been exposed to it before.

"What is this?" She mumbled to herself as she poked the pile of brown stuff on her tray with her fork.

"I'm not really quite sure," she heard a familiar voice from behind and turned to see Jake.

He was with two other students. One was a tom boyish looking girl with two buns on the top of her head, and the other was a confused looking boy wearing a beanie.

"Rose," he cleared his throat, "these are my friends Trixie and Spud."

"Oh," she nodded. "I'm Ro-"

"Rose!" The boy named Spud grabbed her hand, taking her by surprise. "It's so nice to meet you! I'm Spud! Do you like penguins? I sure do like penguins!"

"Cut it out, boy!" The girl grabbed the boy by the back of the shirt. "You'll have to excuse him," she said. "I'm Trixie."

"Nice to meet you," Rose smiled.

"Rose we'll be right back," Jake said. "We are just going to get our food."

"Okay," she nodded as she watched them walk away.

**XX**

"Dude, Jake!" Spud turned to him as soon as they were out of Rose's line of sight. "Why didn't you tell me that your prisoner is so pretty?"

"What?! Well…"

"Jakey," Trixie interrupted taking him by the shoulders. "I don't care how much she thinks she's changed, I don't trust her."

Jake smiled and pulled back from her grasp. "Trix, don't worry about it. I mean…I do trust her…I really do think she's just been confused, but I'm not about to let my guard down," he promised.

"I'm just saying," Trixie held her hands up, "she could easily lure you in with that pretty face of hers. She'd get you to fall in love with her…trust her…and then you would be dead before you'd even known she'd played you."

"Trixie," Jake looked his friend carefully in the eye. "I told you…I'm going to be careful, but I really don't think she's evil. There's something so…sincere about her…something that I know wasn't there six months ago."

Trixie huffed in reply.

"Besides, Trix," he crossed his arms over his chest, "it's not like I'm going to fall in love with her or anything."

**XX**

Rose looked over at the lunch line once more.

Jake and Trixie were in deep conversation. They appeared to be arguing over something, and she had a hunch that it had to do with her.

She sighed.

Jake's friends (and Jake for that matter) had every right to hate her. She was a monster. A failure, and she wanted nothing more than to be proven otherwise.

She looked around at the lunchroom of teenagers happily chatting away about shopping, football, school grades, and weekend dates. Normal, teenager problems.

"_Someday," _Rose thought to herself, "_Someday, "I'll fit in here." _

**XX**

**Hi guys. I do apologize for the wait on this…close to a month! I didn't even realize that it had been that long! Yikes! **

**I also apologize that this chapter is significantly shorter than the last (a couple hundred words I think), but this is only half of what the full chapter was going to be. I figured I'd stop since this is about the length of my normal chapters. In addition, you guys would get to read it sooner. :D **

**I would also just like to thank you all for such kind reviews! I'm so glad that you all like it so much! You don't know how much I appreciate all of my readers and reviewers. :) **

**I'll try to get the next update (part two of this chapter) up sooner this next time. **

**Thanks again! **

**~ada**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: The First Day of a New Life**

After lunch, the day progressed relatively slowly. Rose was finally beginning to realize where all of the high school stereotypes came from in movies.

Being trained to kill, she happened to be a very observant and analytical person.

The cheerleaders, whose names all conveniently rhymed, were cheesy and plastic. They had no individuality at all. They were part of a matched set just like she had been in the Huntsclan.

The Jocks were no better. They pushed each other around, make rude jokes about women, and bragged about who got the hottest girls.

She shuddered in disgust. They were all fake. They had to be. No one could possibly be that shallow. She realized now that high school was nothing but a game to see who could beat who on the popularity rankings.

Wasn't that what this so called "homecoming" thing was all about? Who could beat out everyone else to become the "king" and the "queen?" Whatever that meant.

She sighed and began walking to class. It was her last period, mythology, which she was supposed to have with Jake. She never thought she would be so excited to see a dragon. It was all so new to her.

"Hey Rosalicious!"

"Oh great," she mumbled under her breath. One of the jocks, who referred to himself as "The Bradster," had been following her around all day. He had apparently taken an interest in her even though she had made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.

She pretended like she hadn't heard him at all and proceeded to follow her map to her next class.

"Need help finding your class? The Bradster can help you with that!" The jock smiled that fake jock smile that she already hated with a burning passion.

"I'm fine, thanks," she replied coolly, trying to walk even faster.

Instead of giving up, he then proceeded to run out in front of her, blocking her from continuing down the hallway.

She gave him her best Huntsgirl glare, but it was no use.

"At least consider my offer to take you to the homecoming dance, baby," he flashed that cocky grin again, making her blood boil in anger. Who did this guy think he was?

"I already told you," she tried to get around him, but had no luck, "I don't even know what that is, and I have no interest in seeing you ever again."

"Whoa," he laughed, "she's feisty. I like it!"

Then, it all happened so fast. His left hand reached up and grabbed her by the waist, while his right hand was coming dangerously close to her chest, and then before she even realized what she was doing, she acted on her Huntsgirl instincts.

Her leg came up full force, knocking him to the side before she sent her arm flying into his stomach. And then he was flying through the air, toward the other side of the hallway. He hit the lockers with a crash before falling to the hard, tiled floor.

That's when she noticed that everyone…EVERYONE…had stopped whatever they were doing. No one was moving, no one was talking. Everyone was looking directly at her.

She could feel the blood draining from her face as she watched "The Bradster" stand up shakily, grabbing his head in pain.

Then came the immediate outburst from the student body.

"Did you SEE that?"

"Who is she?"

"What's her problem?"

A teacher who had been standing nearby helped Brad stand up properly before sending him to the nurse with another student.

The teacher, a female who appeared to be in her forties or so, then focused her attention directly on her.

"What is your name?" Her tone was angry, but nothing like that of the Huntsman. She pulled out a pink slip of paper and began to write on it.

"Rose…Killdragonosa," she remembered the name Jake had given her.

"Well, Miss Killdragonoa," she ripped of the top pink sheet from the pack and handed it to her, "I will see you in detention after school," she spoke coolly before walking away.

"But I…He…" Rose began, but it was no use. She was just going to have to endure this…detention thing.

She sighed in defeat as she picked up her books from the ground where she had dropped them.

High school sucked.

**XX**

Wrong.

Everything he said was wrong.

What kind of mythology class WAS this?

She snuck a quick glance over at Jake, who had conveniently been placed next to her on the seating chart.

She watched as he stared blankly at the crazy "professor" as he called himself. She concluded that Jake must just be used to this nutcase by now. What was his name again? Rotwood?

Jake tapped his pencil lightly against his desk, occasionally sneaking a glance up at the clock or smirking over at her whenever Rotwood made some mythological conclusion that they both knew was completely wrong.

She then realized that she had been staring at the side of Jake's face for a very long time. She quickly turned her head back to the front of the room, where Rotwood was writing something about male pixies on the board.

It was becoming more and more amazing to her how well Jake blended in with humans. He seemed to be just like everyone else in the school. Except that he was a little nicer to her than most of the other students were, which still surprised her.

He should hate her. And she should hate him. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to hate him any longer.

Her train of thought was broken when she felt an elbow nudge her lightly in the side. She looked over at Jake, and he nodded his head down to his hand, where he held a small piece of paper.

"_This must be what they call 'passing notes in class,"_ Rose thought to herself as gently took the note out of Jake's hand.

Their hands brushed in the process, sending shivers down her spine. She shook if off immediately and opened the note.

"_Crazy, isn't he?"_

She looked up at him and smiled a little bit before looking up at Rotwood to make sure that he wasn't watching.

She picked up her pencil and wrote a response directly below his comment before passing it back to him. They continued passing notes for several minutes.

"_Yeah, since when do dragon scales glow in the dark?"_

"_And I do NOT have a brain the size of a pea!"_

"_Ummm…"_

"_Hey!" _

"_What's up with his hair? And the one eyeglass? Why not just get glasses like a normal person?"_

"_Beats me. I think he just asks to be criticized. _

"_Hey I have a question."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_What's detention? I think I'm supposed to go there…"_

"_O_O. What did you DO?"_

"_Well, I…"_

"JAKE LONG!" Rotwood's shouting snapped them both back to reality. "Passing notes in class? Detention. After school," he handed him the small sheet of paper before returning to the front of the classroom.

"Awww man,"

**XX**

"So...this is detention?" Rose asked, glancing around the room. There were about fifteen students including her and Jake. Everyone was talking, and the mean female teacher from earlier sat at the front of the classroom, typing away on her laptop. It looked as if she didn't even care what the students did.

"Yup," Jake shrugged unenthusiastically. "I'm here at least once a week."

She giggled. "What do you do to get into so much trouble, Jake?"

"Eh," he shrugged, "trouble usually finds me. And by trouble, I mean Rotwood."

"I see," she nodded understandingly. She had been picking up the vibe that Jake and Rotwood did not get along very well.

"He knows, Rose," Jake spoke quietly, and even though his statement was very vague, she knew exactly what he was talking about. Their mythology teacher was aware of the magical world's existence. But did he know who Jake was?

"And he knows that you…" she hesitated. There were too many people in the classroom for her to continue.

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at his hands.

"Oh," Rose answered quietly, pausing a moment before continuing. "Why hasn't he told anyone?"

"Oh he's tried," Jake laughed a little. "Well…you've met the man! He's a lunatic. No one believes him of course."

"Oh…I guess that makes sense," she laughed a little bit.

"So ummm… is this…is this it? This is detention?" She asked curiously, looking around once more. "There's no…kraken or anything?"

Jake laughed. "Of course not! This is public school, not Huntsclan training, Rose!"

"Well, just making sure!" She lifted her hands defensively. "That's all I've ever known, you know?" She added quietly.

Jake nodded and bit his lip, clearly not knowing how to respond to her statement.

"Hey, you never told me how you ended up here in the first place," Jake changed the subject, anxious to see just what she did to get herself in detention.

"Oh yeah," she smirked almost evilly, "I beat up some jerk in the hallway. He wouldn't keep his hands off me…so…the next thing I knew, he was half conscious on the floor."

Jake burst out laughing, taking her by surprise. He thought this was funny?

She watched as he slammed his hand down on the desk. When he laughed, it really did light up his entire face.

"Who was it?" Jake with a grin as his laughs subsided.

"Ummm," Rose tried to think back to earlier that day. "He called himself "the Bradster."

Immediately, the young man beside her began to laugh again. He apparently knew who this "Bradster" was and found it very amusing that she unintentionally injured him.

"Ah man," Jake shook his head, "that's great."

She finally smiled a little. It had been kinda funny…The guy really had asked for it. She finally let in and started laughing with Jake.

It had certainly been a very interesting first day at Fillmore High School.

**XX**

**Well, here you go. :) Hope that you guys liked it! I'd really like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. **

**I would also like to inform you that I will be posting a oneshot this Friday (hopefully! It should be done by then), and it is very important all of you know why. **

**JakeRoss2 passed away a year ago from this Friday. He was truly a great writer, and he was a great friend as well. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts this week, and if you ever get the chance, please check out his stories. Though some of them are unfinished, he really was a top notch writer. My oneshot will be dedicated to him. **

**Thank you so much for reading and for your continued support, **

**~ada**_  
><em> 


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Full Bloom **

Rose had never been particularly fond of fall, but this fall was different.

For as long as she could remember, fall had symbolized a new year at the Huntsclan Academy. Another year filled with training and lecturing and teaching and hunting. Fall meant it was hunting season not only in the human world, but in the magical world as well, and it had always been an exhausting and depressing three months.

But this fall…this fall symbolized a new beginning. The leaves were falling from the trees, and everything was dying. But this was a good kind of death.

Everything old had to die in order for nature to start again in the spring again.

Just like her. All of her old ways had to die in order for her to start living again.

This fall gave her the opportunity to start with a clean slate, like a blank piece of paper waiting to be written on.

The idea brought her more happiness that she had ever had before.

"Rose,"

She was pulled out of her train of thought by Jake, who was holding the door open for her and waiting for her to enter.

"Sorry," she shook her head, following Trixie and Spud into the restaurant.

It was now October, and she had been attending high school for two months. She couldn't say that she liked it, but she would take it over the Huntsclan Academy any day. At Fillmore high school, she actual had friends and normal classes.

Sure, she hated everyone in the school except for Jake, Trixie, and Spud, but it was still a nice change.

"So you've really never been to a restaurant before?" Trixie asked her as the four of them slid into a corner booth.

"Yeah," she responded simply, "I've hardly even seen daylight," she joked.

Trixie nodded her head in reply, clearly interested in her. Rose knew that Trixie didn't really trust her yet, and that was okay. She wasn't bothered by it. She probably didn't deserve to be trusted anyway.

What bothered Rose were the looks she received from the other girl. It was almost as if she had decided that she was socially unacceptable.

"So Rose, how are your classes going?" Jake questioned her casually as he glanced over the menu the young waitress had handed him.

"Okay," she shrugged. "Math is really hard…but I really don't mind the classes. It's the students that bother me."

Jake paused his reading to look up at her. "Who is bothering you?"

"That kid I beat up a few months ago…he won't leave me alone!" She rubbed her eyes in annoyance. "Is it 'normal' for guys to ask you out and bother you every single day until you say yes?"

"Well…for Brad it is," Jake chuckled a little. Being as observant as she was, Rose could also sense that Jake was a little bit annoyed as well. But…why?

"He keeps bringing up something called Homecoming," she took a sip of her water. "Apparently it's next week."

"Yeah," Jake nodded. "It's an annual thing. See there is-"

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress interrupted them, pulling out a pen a notepad.

"Yeah I think so," Jake replied and the other three nodded in agreement.

She took their orders and left.

"It's funny how waitresses always come to check on you while you're talking…or when you're mouth is full of food and you can't swallow because you took too big of bites," Spud rambled, talking off his shoes and bringing his feet up to sit criss-cross on the booth."

"Boy, did you just take your shoes off?" Trixie scrunched her nose. "I don't want your nasty feet up on the booth next to my hands."

"Anyway," Jake began, ignoring his friends' bickering, "homecoming is this annual celebration we do every year. It lasts about a week, and there's a parade, football game, and a dance," he explained.

"Oh," Rose nodded, "I see. Now what this "Bradster" was telling me makes a little more sense."

"You should really think about going to the game and the dance though," Jake suggested to her, earning a questioning glance from Trixie. "I think it would be a good experience. You could see your first football game, attend your first dance…Trixie could even take you dress shopping!" Jake smiled enthusiastically, knowing his friend's pure hatred toward dresses of any kind.

"Don't set your heart on that," Trixie laughed sarcastically.

"Oh! Oh!" Spud's hand shot up in the air. "I could be your date if you want, Rose!"

"No no!" Trixie slapped his arm. "Boy, you are MY date!"

"Oh yeah…that's right," Spud rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"We usually just kind of go to the dance as a group of friends," Jake explained to her. "It makes things a lot less complicated."

"I see," Rose nodded, finally understanding. "Thanks for the explanation."

"Yeah, no problem," Jake smiled as the waitress came over to hand him the bill.

"If you need anything else, just let me know, kay?" She flashed a bright smile at Jake before walking away.

Rose knew she was flirting with him. She couldn't have been making it any more obvious. The entire night, Jake was the only one of them she had even bothered talking to. She had way too much lipstick on, and she giggled after everything she said.

Rose watched in disgust as she strolled away in a suspiciously seductive manner.

And then there was Jake. Laughing away with his best friends, completely oblivious to the young woman's intentions. Rose found his lack of interest and understanding in the matter somewhat amusing.

She didn't know if she could blame the girl, though. Jake had such a beautiful smile and a wonderful light in his eyes. He was a relatively appealing young man after all…

She stopped herself before she could think too far into it. It felt odd to her to be thinking about her past enemy and now sort-of friend in such a way.

"Alright," Jake stood up, looking at his watch. "We should probably get going."

"Hang on, dude," Spud stuck his head under the table. "I can't seem to find my other shoe."

"Boy, I told you not to take those nasty things off in the first place!" Trixie huffed.

Rose stuck her head under the table as well. Just like Spud had told her, there was no sign of a second shoe.

"That's odd," Rose stood up, "shoes don't just disappear."

"Okay…well…maybe some sort of shoe ninja snuck under the table while we were eating and…"

"No," Jake cut his friend off, "it has to be around her somewhere," he got down on his hands and knees and looked around.

"Or maybe…I might have only worn one shoe," Spud contemplated the thought.

Jake and Trixie exchanged a look before shaking their heads. Rose was getting the feeling that this was a normal everyday routine for the two of them.

"You wore two shoes, man," Jake continued to look on the floor.

"Okay but the ninjas-"

"Here it is!" Jake held up the shoe and handed it to Spud.

"Oh thank goodness!" Spud took it and shoved it on his foot, leaning against the booth for balance.

"Now just keep your shoes on from now on," Jake laughed a little, pushing the door open and walking out onto the buzzing streets of New York City.

"Yeah yeah…" Spud rolled his eyes. "You're no fun, Jake!"

Rose laughed along with them, feeling less and less out of place as the days passed.

Every once in awhile, she would remember her past and feel that tinge of guilt and confliction, but as time passed, she could feel her old self slipping further and further away.

Thoughts of the Huntsclan were occurring to her less and less as the time passed, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would be a completely new and a much happier person.

She smiled as they cut through Central Park, the leaves crunching beneath her feet. Like her, the leaves were going through a metamorphosis.

So for now, she would allow herself to die, but come spring, she would be a rose in full bloom.

**XX**

**I'm sorry of the late update! You can go ahead and kill me now. I've just been so busy! Senior year and all. I am trying my best to get at least an update up a month, but two or three would probably be more ideal. **

**Thank you all so much for your continued support! I'm glad you are all enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it! :)**

**Seeya soon hopefully!**

**~ada**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Scars**

_She watched, eyes wide with horror, as their bodies fell lifelessly to the floor._

_Seconds. _

_It had only taken him seconds to end their lives, and this revelation was simply terrifying to her. _

"_See, Huntsgirl?" He bent down to look the seven year old girl straight in the eye. She watched in pure terror as he ran his finger over the edge of the blood-stained blade. "This is what happens when my apprentices fail to meet my expectations."_

_She tried not to look at the bodies on the floor. She tried to deny the pool of blood surrounding her and her master. _

_But she couldn't look away. She couldn't close her eyes._

_She couldn't speak or breathe or move. _

_All she could do was watch. Watch the blood drip from the knife, watch the Huntsman's cold eyes tear into her soul, watch the light leave the eyes of the victims. _

"_Never fail me, and this will never happen to you,"_

_She watched, unable to tear her eyes away, as he turned and raised the knife once more, stabbing it into the chest of the victim. _

_And all she could see was blood. _

Rose shot up in bed with a scream, tears streaming down her face at the memory.

"_It was just a dream," _she thought.

But it wasn't. And she knew it. It had really happened.

She shuddered and slumped back down on the bed, not even bothering to wipe the tears away. She had been too terrified back then to cry for them. But now she was free, and she could not only cry for them, but for herself as well.

She shot up once more when she saw the light stream through the bottom of the door, and she heard the creak of the floorboards in the hall.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, wiping the tears away. She had screamed, hadn't she? Someone must have heard…

Still breathing unevenly, she listened carefully as the footsteps came to a halt right outside her door, and she could sense his presence.

"Rose," he knocked on the door quietly before cracking it open.

"Rose, are you okay?" Jake stuck his head in and his eyes focused on her.

For a moment, she couldn't even find her voice. Bloody images clouded her vision and piercing screams rang in her ears.

"I…I'm f-fine," she stuttered, disgusted by the fear in her voice. Her eyes adjusted to the light from the hallway, and she could barely make out Jake's face. He almost looked…concerned.

"Do you…" he hesitated for a moment, "do you want to talk about it, Rose?"

"I told you, I'm fine," she replied immediately, pleased to hear the steadiness return to her voice.

But she could tell that he wasn't convinced. He was now at her bedside, looking down at her with a mix of worry, pity, and confusion.

"Well," he hesitated, "how about a cup of tea then? Fu Dog and I were up talking anyways. Why don't you join us?" He held out his hand.

Rose finally looked him straight in the eyes, and that's when she knew.

She knew that he could see through her without a second glance.

But how? She had always been good at lying. She had sounded convincing enough.

But somehow…somehow she knew that he could see through that tough girl front she put up and catch a glimpse of the scared little girl that still remained within her.

And so, too courageous to admit her fears and too shaken to be left alone, she lifted her own hand, clammy and shaking, into his own.

Instantly, she could feel the warmth of his hand spread through her entire body, calming her, telling her that she could trust him.

And so, for the first time her life, she put her trust into another person.

He smiled genuinely, lifting her up off of the mattress and releasing her hand.

Then, she followed him out of the cold darkness of her bedroom and into the promising light of the future.

**XX**

"Here you go," Jake handed her the steaming cup with care.

"Thanks," she gave him a weary smile as she took the cup from him. She took a sip and felt the warmness spread throughout her body.

The three had been relatively silent for the past five minutes. Jake and the dog had been busy researching something on the computer. As it turned out, it was only a little past midnight.

Wrapped up in a blanket, eyes drained of color, she could only imagine how pathetic she must have looked to them. And yet, neither of them had mentioned her scream since she had come downstairs.

And out of embarrassment, she was grateful for that.

"So what are you guys up doing?" Rose decided to break the surprisingly peaceful silence.

Jake hesitated, clearly debating if he should tell the truth. She had picked up from the last half year of knowing him that he was truly a horrible liar.

"We're trying to figure out what the Huntsman's trying to do to us," he finally answered. She could tell this was the truth, and she was somewhat relieved to realize that his reason behind hesitating was most likely due to her recent dream rather than his lack of trust in her.

He was just trying to protect her.

She felt a surge of happiness sweep through her. Was this what friendship felt like? Had this wonderful feeling been what had she been missing in her life?

"Oh," she looked down, trying to hide the guilt she clearly still felt, but by this time, she had realized it was hard to hide anything from him. He could read her like a map. Trace the roads of her past with his finger and decode the key of her thoughts.

It was something extremely unique about him that she both hated and admired.

"I wish I could help you more," she took a sip of her tea and looked down at the ground.

"Don't worry about it," Jake waved it off. "Besides, you've already given us plenty of tips on fighting the guy. There's no need to feel bad anymore, Rose," he smiled genuinely at her as she looked up from her tea.

"Yeah," she agreed hesitantly, "I suppose so…"

Jake cleared his throat and turned his back to her. "Anyway," he changed the subject entirely, "are you excited for Homecoming?"

"Ummm…yeah…I guess I kind of am," Rose answered, startled by the change in topic.

"Oh!" Jake turned to face her. "And I have some good news! I finally convinced Trixie to take you dress shopping!"

"Oh," Rose tried to sound enthusiastic, "that is great news."

"Oh come on!" Jake rolled his eyes, evidently catching the true lack of interest in her voice. "It could be a lot of fun! You two could get to know each other a little better…and besides," he continued, "I think it would be good for you to get out of here once and awhile. And school for that matter."

"I guess so," Rose shrugged. She had to admit that she wasn't thrilled by the idea of shopping for a dress with Trixie, but she didn't hate the idea either. It was better than sitting at the shop reading the same book for the tenth time.

"Besides," Jake continued, taking a sip of his tea before he spoke, "you're always working. Your whole life you've been working, and now, it seems like every time I look over at you you're doing school work! Seriously…take a break."

"Alright," she smiled, somewhat annoyed by his constant rambling. How could he be so awake at this time of night? He must just be used to not sleeping. "I'm not against the idea. I'll go. No more need for some lame persuasion speech."

"Ohhhhh ouch!" Fu Dog cut in from behind the book he was reading. He had remained unusually quiet for the duration of the conversation, but of course, he could never pass up the opportunity to tease Jake.

"Hey!" Jake shot back. "My persuasive speeches are ten times better than those sorry-ass love letters you write to your foreign poodles!"

"Okay," Rose stood up and folded the blanket she had been using, "I think that's my cue to go back to bed."

"Okay," the two stopped fighting for a moment to watch her as she walked toward the stairs.

"Thanks for the tea!" She shouted before heading upstairs.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" She heard Jake call after her.

**XX**

"_You've failed me, Huntsgirl," his cold eyes pierced through hers, still fresh with innocence. _

"_I'm s-sor-ry m-master," she stuttered. Not once in all of her seven years had she been so terrified, so paralyzed with fear. _

_His grip on her arms tightened, sure to leave her skin black and bruised. His unwavering stare peered into her soul, exposing its true weakness, destroying her innocence. _

_And she watched in horror as he brought back his hand, and in one swift motion, slapped her forcefully across the cheek. _

_She fell to the ground instantly, tears dripping down her face. She could taste the blood pooling in her mouth. _

_He kneeled down beside her, but she couldn't look at him. She couldn't look back into his cold, merciless eyes. _

_She was terrified. _

_She felt his grip on her arm once more, but she closed her eyes, blocking him out. Blocking everything out. She tried not to listen as he spat out her name repeatedly. _

"_Rose,"_

_The blood spilled from her mouth and mixed with the tears, but she kept her eyes shut. She had to ignore him. _

"_Rose,"_

_He was shaking her. He was going to hurt her again. She squeezed her eyes closed harder, prepared for whatever he might do. _

"_ROSE! WAKE UP!" _

_She just wanted it to be over. She just wanted to die. _

"_Please," she whimpered helplessly, "please don't hurt me."_

_A single tear dripped off her chin and hit the ground._

"ROSE!"

The voice of the Huntsman had faded into a different one. One that sounded sincere…and was full of concern rather than anger.

Her eyes flew open. It was a dream. It wasn't real.

But the memory was real, and the tears were real.

She tried to pretend that they weren't there. She tried to pretend that she wasn't that weak. She COULDN'T be that weak.

Her eyes came into focus, and the first thing she saw was another pair of eyes. These ones, unlike the Huntsman's, were filled with care, worry, sympathy, understanding, and…love?

"Jake," she whimpered, shaking uncontrollably underneath the sheets.

"Rose," he gripped her arm tightly, and she realized that he must have been the one trying to shake her awake, not the Huntsman.

Jake had been the one calling her name.

Jake had been the one trying to save her from herself. From her past.

"Rose, are you okay?" He asked, determined to help her. Determined to fix her.

She closed her eyes and shook her head, fresh tears falling from her eyes. There was no point in lying to him. He could see right through her.

And then, without even realizing what she was doing, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder, seeking comfort from him, the only friend she had ever had.

And she was surprised to feel his arms wrap around her and hear his voice as he consoled her.

"I know you're confused now," he spoke softly as she tried to hold back the sobs, "but we're going to figure all of this out, okay?"

"You're going to be okay, Rose," his voice soothed her. "You don't ever have to go back. He'll never hurt you again. I promise."

She felt him rub her back instinctively.

"While the scars may never completely be healed, they'll get better, Rose. You'll see. They'll get better."

**XX**

**Hey guys…remember me? I haven't updated in like…two months. I'm really sorry. I actually have had a good portion of this done for like a month and a half…but then…I got busy. **

**Sorry if their…ummm…"friendship"…seems to be moving along kind of fast. There have been a few little time skips though. And I just couldn't resist the end of this chapter. :3 With a sap like me, you all knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. **

**Thank you all for your support, and I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story so far! Please don't think I've abandoned it if I don't update for a month or two. I will not abandon this story. :) **

**ada**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: The Girl in the Mirror**

"You know, I don't think I've ever worn a dress before," Rose noted aloud as she stepped out of the dressing room wearing a simple, yet pretty, knee length red dress.

"Seriously?" Trixie asked. "Not once?"

"Nope," Rose spun around looking at herself in the mirror. "Not once."

A silence between the two followed as Rose observed herself in the mirror.

"I don't like it," she stated bluntly.

Trixie sighed. It was very clear to Rose that Trixie didn't really want to be out shopping. Especially with her. Rose had concluded that Jake must have begged her to do it. Maybe he had even bribed her. Whatever the case, she could tell that Trixie wasn't exactly fond of her quite yet.

Rose sighed. She didn't blame the poor girl. She really didn't. After everything that she had done, how could Trixie ever like her, let alone trust her? The best thing she could do was to keep smiling and being nice. She really wanted to have a female friend.

"What about it don't you like?" Trixie leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"I just..." Rose paused, looking the mirror at her own reflection. Except…it really didn't look like her, "I guess I don't like the way it feels or looks. Maybe I'm just not used to being dressed up like this," she suggested.

Trixie shrugged and took a drink of her smoothie.

"I mean, it's not like the Huntsclan ever wanted me or needed me to dress up for anything," she continued to stare at herself in the mirror.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get much more help from the other girl, Rose kept the next thought to herself.

"_Maybe,"_ she thought, observing the way the dress hugged her curves and emphasized her female figure, _"it's because that girl in the mirror doesn't even look like me." _

**XX**

In the end, they agreed on a simple, strapless blue dress that went down to her knees.

"It matches your eyes," Trixie had remarked unenthusiastically.

Rose had laughed a little at the girls attempt at complimenting her, but was somewhat satisfied with the dress.

Sure, she still didn't really look like the Rose she was used to seeing, but she almost felt as if the dress reflected her inner personality.

The red dress had represented fire and passion, both of which reminded her of her time in the Huntsclan. Sure, those qualities were inside her, but they had been Huntsgirl. Now, she just wanted to be Rose. Calm, artistic, and pure. A little confused at times, but willing to keep moving forward.

Anger and purity, hate and love, evil and good, fire and ice.

She smiled to herself as she stepped out of the store and onto the bustling streets of New York, holding the door for Trixie behind her.

Blue, she mused, fit her just fine.

**XX**

She could tell that something wasn't quite right immediately after she entered the shop.

She stepped inside and instantly felt tense. It was almost as if she could sense the fear and the looming black clouds that were settling in to darken her world once more.

She shivered as she held the door open for Trixie and Spud, whom they had picked up along the way back from the mall.

The two were in the middle of a heated argument over the origins of clothing. As far as Rose could tell, neither of them sensed the same danger that she did.

"But _Trixie,_" Spud urged, waving his hands dramatically, "if no one wore clothes, then it wouldn't be weird. It would just be normal."

"Boy, no word that has ever come out of that mouth of yours has been normal," Trixie retorted. "I have no idea where you come up with these crazy ideas of yours!"

"But Trix, think about it," Spud continued, stopping suddenly in the middle of the shop, "at some point in time, people went from NOT wearing clothes to WEARING clothes. Why?"

Rose looked around. Jake, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog didn't appear to be anywhere in the front. She began to feel a tinge of worry. This…feeling…she hoped they were still alright.

"Spud," Trixie held up her hands, "lemme ask you something. Say…people in modern society didn't wear clothes. Picture this; You are on the bustling city streets of New York. Naked," she clarified quickly before continuing. "You go to turn the corner and bump straight into ANOTHER naked person. Tell me that that's not the least bit awkward."

Rose pushed aside the blue curtain that led to the back area of the shop, and she was relieved to see Jake, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog gathered around the computer. But still, she felt that something wasn't right.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Jake turned to face her, and she caught a glance of his facial expression.

"Hey Rose," he greeted with a weary smile. He looked exhausted. But that wasn't all. There was so much more. There was something else in his expression that alarmed her. Maybe a mix of stress, pressure, and…fear?

"Did you find a dress?" He questioned, addressing both her and Trixie as well.

"Yeah," Rose eyed him worriedly, debating on whether or not it was any of her business to ask him of his well being. It only took her a few seconds to decide that it was.

"Are you okay, Jake?" She asked earnestly. They were friends now, and as his friend, she would not stand by and act like she didn't care. She'd never been given the opportunity to have friends before, and she would not mess up her very first friendship.

Jake hesitated for a moment, which indirectly answered her question.

"Yeah," he nodded as if almost trying to convince himself, "we've just got a lot of work to do, that's all," he shrugged. "A lot of stuff has been happening in the magical world lately, but I guess that's really nothing new."

"Oh no," Spud dropped to his knees. "Oh no! It's the mermaids, isn't it, Jake? They've broken into a war amongst each other, haven't they? They great prophesy that foretold the legendary mermaid civil war has come true!" Spud buried his face in his hands dramatically.

"Dude. No," Jake shook his head at his friend. "It's just the Huntsclan again. Nothing new really."

"The Huntsclan?"

Rose suddenly felt dizzy. So that's what it was. All of this worry…all of this fear that she had sensed upon walking into the shop…it was all the Huntsclan's doing.

"Rose, are you okay?" Jake's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she realized that he was now standing directly beside her.

"Yeah," she rubbed her throbbing forehead, "I'm fine," she lied. In truth, she was dizzy and cold, and shivers were running up and down her spine. Her stomach was queasy and her vision was starting to become blurred. But why? Just by mention of the Huntsclan? She wasn't that weak. Or at least she'd like to believe so. What the HELL was wrong with her?!

"Rose!" She heard her name and felt Jake's arms tighten around her as she felt herself tipping sideways.

Jake guided her over to the couch and sat her down, giving her a chance to get it together.

"Hey Trix!" Jake shouted to his friend as he continued to hold Rose up. "Get her a glass of water!"

Rose briefly caught a glance of Trixie sprinting out of the room before her vision blurred again.

She was stronger than this, damn it!

"Rose," Jake took her firmly by the shoulders, and her vision came back into focus. "Rose, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she managed to mumble back weakly. "I'm fine," she smiled faintly as Trixie rushed back into the room with a glass of water.

"Are you sure?" Jake asked firmly as she took a sip of water.

"Yeah," she took a deep breath. At least her voice was becoming stronger. "I think I've just done a little too much walking today."

Like Jake was going to see through THAT.

Fu Dog plopped down on the couch next to her. "Maybe you should go rest for a little while sweetheart," he advised.

"I'm fine," Rose lied convincingly, "really."

She noticed that everyone in the room was staring intently at her. She folded her hands and looked down awkwardly at the floor, waiting for someone else to change the subject.

"So…what exactly is all this stuff?" Trixie asked glancing over the content of the books and the computer screen.

"We think we may have found a lead on the Huntsman's plan," Jake explained. "We haven't uncovered anything big yet, but we are getting close."

Rose felt herself go numb again, but she was determined to sit this through. She wanted to know what exactly she had been helping him with these last few years.

"That's right," Fu Dog chimed in.

"We think the box may have contained one of the ancient Aztec crystal skulls, thirteen powerful magical objects that, in the wrong hands, could create massive destruction throughout both the magical and human worlds," Lao Shi explained.

"Oh wow," Trixie folded her arms and leaned back against the table, "sounds like you guys got your hands full."

"Yeah," Spud shrugged, "still not as bad as the mermaid civil war. Or the unicorn apocalypse."

"Spud," Trixie filled the awkward silence that had followed.

"What?! I know for a fact from a reliable source that both the mermaid civil war and the unicorn apocalypse have been prophesied!" Spud shot back in defense.

"Right," Jake rolled his eyes, smiling slightly at his friend, "and by reliable source, do you mean Rotwood?"

"Wikipedia!" Spud pouted, turning away from his friends. "You guys are so mean!"

"Anyway," Fu Dog interrupted their dispute, "we need to focus on the task at hand."

The teenagers nodded, and Rose looked up from the floor.

"We think the Huntsman's collecting skulls, we know they are powerful, and we know whatever he's planning is bad news for us. What we don't know is the plan itself and when, where, and how it's going to take place."

"We are going to have to keep a watchful eye on the Huntsclan," Lao Shi added, "It is very important that we uncover the plan and prevent it from happening as soon as possible."

"And we're going to need all the help we can get," Jake smiled confidently, looking much more like the Jake that Rose had come to know over the course of the last half a year. Seeing him back to his normal, cocky, simply _Jake _selfmade her feel a little more at ease.

"Rose," Jake's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at him from her place on the couch, her bright blue eyes locking with his dark focused ones, "are you in?"

"Yeah," she stood up, legs no longer wobbling. She had been wrong all these years. That much she knew, and now, she was going to help set things right, and she wanted to be there to bring the Huntsman down, "I am."

**XX**

**I'm sorry it took so long, but…chapter 15! :) **

**I'm not even going to try to make up excuses. Just believe me when I say that I've been very busy! I would just like to assure you all that I AM NOT NOT NOT NOT DISCONTINUING THIS FIC! It may take me a month or two to update at times, but it will not be discontinued. **

**Thanks for sticking with me here! I appreciate all of your support!**

**Ada**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Deep Blue**

She hated nights like this. Nights where she was all alone, and she sat on the roof by herself watching as the daylight sky faded to deep blue, then black.

She'd never liked looking up at the stars either. They only reminded her of how small she truly was in comparison.

"I am insignificant," she whispered to herself as she tugged on the faded red jacket that she wore.

"What makes you think that?" A voice came from behind, causing her to jump with a shriek.

She spun around, and the light of the almost-full moon allowed her to see Jake standing a few feet behind her. How long had he been there?

"I'm sorry," he laughed a little at her reaction. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"No," she shook her head, finding her voice, "no it's fine."

She wrapped the jacket around her a little tighter and gazed off into the distance. To her understanding, the jacket had once been Jake's, and she was, in all honesty, a bit embarrassed to be caught wearing it by him.

Jake, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog had been out on a mission since dinner. She didn't know for sure, but she assumed that it had something to do with the Huntsman's plan. She hadn't even known that they were back.

"Do you," Jake hesitated for a moment, "do you mind if I sit down?"

She shook her head without looking back over at him, and she felt his presence as he lowered himself down next to her and flung his legs over the edge of the roof.

It was silent for a little while, but Rose didn't mind. She didn't mind that he had interrupted her thoughts either for some reason.

"It's easy to feel insignificant when you look up there, isn't it?" Jake finally spoke, gazing up at the sky with a sad smile.

"Yeah," she nodded, watching him as he held his gaze on the deep blue sky above.

"It's crazy to think about really," she added. "There are 7 billion people in this world, so what's one less?"

Jake looked over at her, and she felt his curious gaze on her face. "Just what are you getting at?"

She inhaled deeply, her breath visible in the cool night air. "If I died, everyone else would just keep on living without me. The sun would still rise in the morning and set at night. The seasons would still change and the waves would still crash against the shore. My footprints would be washed away with the tide," she spoke softly. "If I died tomorrow, would anyone even notice? Would they care?"

Jake was silent for a moment. Either he hadn't been listening or he simply didn't know what to say.

But then, he spoke words so softly that she almost didn't hear them.

"I would care," he whispered.

And that was all she needed to hear.

Just one person. One out of those 7 billion people would mourn her loss and carry out her memory. That was all she really needed to know.

"Where is this coming from?" He finally asked, his voice hinting a touch of concern and affection. "Are you afraid of dying, Rose?"

Was she afraid of dying? She thought it over for a minute before shaking her head. "No," she replied after a minute. She wasn't afraid to die, but she was afraid of something.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

What was she afraid of? Was she afraid of not belonging, getting hurt, missing chances, falling in love, not falling in love?

"I think," she responded after a moment of thought, "I think I'm just afraid of ending up alone in this big world," her voice shook as she spoke words she never thought she'd admit.

She could feel his eyes on her, so she forced herself to keep a brave face.

Then, she felt his hand, soft and warm, slide gently over hers.

"You won't," he spoke softly and sincerely, and the honesty in his voice made her heart swell. "I promise."

After a minute or so of more silence, he stood up.

"Come on," he held out his hand. "It's getting cold out here, and tomorrow's the big dance. You should get some sleep."

She nodded as he helped her stand up and led her into the warmth of the shop.

**XX**

Even after her conversation with Jake, Rose could not seem to find sleep. She had been tossing and turning underneath the warm sheets for the past two hours.

Sighing, she lifted herself up and glanced over at the clock on the wall.

_1:34 am. _

Nights like these were always the same for her. After glaring angrily at the clock, she would sigh, roll out of bed, and flip on the lamp next to her bed. She would grab a book or a notepad and distract herself until she could fall asleep. Ultimately, she was postponing the feelings of loneliness that crept into her thoughts in the darkest hours of the night. There was never any real way of getting rid of them, and the longer she pushed them away, the harder they fought back. Nights like these were the times that that the walls suppressing her despair finally gave out, and all of her deepest worries, fears, and nightmares came flooding through her mind like water from a broken dam.

Nights like these were the ones when she couldn't stay brave any longer.

But not tonight.

Tonight, she didn't reach for her pencil, and she didn't reach for a book. She didn't bother to pretend like she was okay, and she didn't bother to mindlessly distract herself with other things.

She simply let the feelings come and acknowledged their presence. It was inevitable that they would come eventually, and it was truly exhausting to push them away.

And maybe by admitting that she was weak, she could become a little stronger.

**XX**

_1:34 am. _

Jake groaned and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He reached over and turned on the lamp by his bed, running his hands through his messy black hair.

"It should not be this hard for me to fall asleep," he whispered quietly to himself, the light from the broken lamp flickering on and off. He had forgotten that he had traded lamps with Rose, offering her the better one when the shop became her permanent home.

Jake shook his head and stood up, shuffling sleepily down the hallway and stairs and plopping down on the couch.

"Can't sleep?"

Jake turned around to see Fu Dog flipping through some degrading poodle magazine on the floor not far from where he was seated.

"Evidently you can't either?" Jake raised his eyebrows at his best friend.

"Not really," the Shar Pei jumped up on the couch and sat down next to him. "I just got caught up…you know…doing productive things."

"Doing productive things?" Jake repeated with a doubtful smile.

Fu Dog huffed. "Well I WAS doing productive things, but then I became distracted," he explained. "The poodles with the hair and the bones and…"

"Okay," Jake cut him off, "I got it Fu."

"So," Jake began after a minute of silence, "what were you doing then?"

His companion shrugged. "Just some Huntsclan research. History, some old member documents that I found."

"You think that's going to help us with this skull thing he's planning?" Jake looked over at his friend questioningly.

"No," Fu Dog hesitated for a moment, debating on whether or not to tell the truth. "I was actually…I was actually trying to find out more about her. Figure out where she came from," he mumbled.

He didn't need to clarify any further. Jake knew exactly what he was talking about, and though he should have been surprised by this, he wasn't.

Jake knew that Fu Dog cared about Rose. They all did. He and Fu and Grandpa…even Trixie and Spud were starting to come around. They could see the good that was inside of her, and they wanted nothing more than to help her find happiness.

Suddenly, Jake heard a crack of thunder, followed by the sound of rain pouring heavily down onto the roof of the shop.

"Yeesh," Fu Dog stretched out on the couch. "I hope it doesn't rain like this for your dance tomorrow."

Jake nodded silently, too lost in his own thoughts to respond verbally.

"It would certainly be a shame if your little girly-friend's first dance was wet and rainy,"

This, however, caught the young man's attention immediately.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Jake shot back, alarmed and embarrassed by the dog's suggestion.

"Mmmhmm. I'm sure,"

"Seriously!" Jake insisted, a blush creeping slowly onto his face. "We're just becoming really good friends! And that's a good thing!"

"You can't fool me kid," Fu Dog jumped down off the couch and picked the magazine back up, seemingly uninterested in hearing Jake's protest. "I can see why you might keep your relationship a secret though. I'm not sure what the old man would think about it."

"Fu Dog!"

"It's so romantic though. With the enemies and the forbidden love…"

"I don't-,"

"Jake loves Rose," the dog sang teasingly.

"Ugh!" Jake shook his head and stood up. "I'm going back to bed," he informed Fu, his voice filled with annoyance. "See you in the morning."

"Night kid,"

Jake climbed the stairs, somewhat shaken up by what Fu had said, but he wouldn't let it bother him. It was 2:00 in the morning, and he had a dance to attend the next day with Trixie, Spud, and Rose…who was his _friend. _

Jake sighed, rolling over and closing his eyes as he listened to the rain beating against the roof. Tomorrow really would be a terrible day for rain.

**XX**

**I'm so very sorry this tiny short little filler chapter took me so long to finish! I have been so busy these last few months! But the good news is that I graduate from high school in 11 days! So then, hopefully I will have some more time and motivation to write! **

**Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this. I promise that it will get finished, along with SOTP, which I will try to update sometime in the near future as well. Again, I'm so sorry this took so long! Also, the dance will be next chapter! I'm very excited to write it! **

**Thanks again and hope you all are well,**

**Ada**


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